You Were Leading Her
by elleecee285
Summary: Olivia and Elliot talk in the hospital after her neck is sliced, Elliot says something that makes Olivia leave. But after 4 1/2 years she comes back to her home and family in Manhattan with her young daughter.  I'm bad at summaries, good story tho :
1. Chapter 1

**Author's note: This story begins during season seven's "Fault" with Olivia leaving in the middle of the case after Elliot says something to her. **

**Rated T for things later in the story, will eventually have EO storyline. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own SVU... (although it would be awesome if I did!) **

CHAPTER ONE:

"If that sniper hadn't beaten you to it…I know you would have taken that shot, Olivia."

"No, I wouldn't have. Did you really expect me to? Did you really expect me to cause your death? What about your kids?"

"I don't know. I just couldn't get that boy out of my head."

"What about me?" She asked softly.

"Look, we both chose each other over the job. We can never let that happen again. Otherwise…we can't be partners."

"I can't believe you're saying that."

"Look, you and this job are about the only things that I've got anymore. I don't want to wreck that. I couldn't take it." He paused, clearly holding something back. Olivia got up to leave but turned around to see the look on his face.

"What is it Elliot?" She looked at him with the brown eyes that he had come to find comfort in.

He stood up and pulled her face into his hands. "I love you Olivia."

"Elliot, no, you can't- we can't-" Olivia was cut off by a soft and gentle kiss being placed on her lips. As soon as the kiss was over she ran from his arms and disappeared.

* * *

><p>"Are you sure about this Olivia?" Don looked at the detective he had considered his daughter for years now.<p>

She quickly came back from her memory. "Yes." She quietly responded.

Don was at a loss for words as he looked at one of his best detectives. "Call me if you ever need anything then." She nodded. "And Olivia, know that you are always welcome back here okay?"

"Thank you Captain, I will." She said to the man who had been like a father to her since she started working at the 1-6. She offered the captain a quick hug goodbye and then turned and left the office quickly grabbing the box of her belongings on the way out.

Fin was walking in as Olivia walked out of the bull pen. "Olivia?" She stopped and turned to him. "You okay?"

She looked at her friend and said with the most confidence she could muster up, "I'm…uh…not feeling well today."

"And the case?" Fin mentioned.

"I'm gonna look into some leads from home today." She tried to sound convincing.

"Is there a reason that you have a box of your stuff?" Fin said seeing straight through the lie she was clearly telling.

"Just taking some stuff that I have no use for here." She said trying to smile with assurance.

"All right, well, feel better baby girl." Fin said as he patted her on the shoulder.

"Thanks, I'll try Fin." She said as she quickly tried to get out before her partner walked in. She couldn't face him, not now, not after everything that happened in the past few days.

She made it into the elevator, down through the lobby, and out into the cab before she started to cry.

"Miss, are you okay?" The cab driver said to her as she cried quietly in his back seat.

She nodded quietly while wiping her tears with the back of her hand before she told him the address of her building. She sat quietly holding in the tears during the cab ride to her apartment. As soon as she got the apartment door shut she broke down and started sobbing hysterically.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: Ok so I have up to the sixth chapter written already. I plan on posting the first three and seeing what the response is before uploading the rest. Please comment if you want me to finish the story :)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own L&O:SVU (sadness)**

CHAPTER TWO:

"Hello?"

"Olivia, where are you?" She heard her husband screaming into the phone.

"Lucy and I went to the grocery store Brayden, I needed some things for dinner." She said with little emotion.

"Why didn't you call me?"

"I didn't realize you needed to have tabs on me every second of everyday."

"Olivia! You will show some respect!" He screamed again.

"We will talk when I get home, okay?" She heard the click of her husband hanging up before she hung up herself. She smiled at her three year old daughter. "What does the list say we need baby girl?"

"I no read mommy! You silly." The little girl giggled.

"Well, who gave you the list then?" She giggled before taking the list from the little girl.

A little while later the two girls were loading up the car with their groceries. As Olivia loaded up the last of the groceries in the back of her small SUV her daughter asked her a question that made her world stop. "Mommy, is daddy mad wit me?"

"No baby! Why ever would you think that?" She said as she pulled her daughter from the cart and enveloped her into a big hug.

"He always yelling." Olivia heard the worry in her baby's voice.

"Honey, daddy loves you very much." She tried to reassure the child.

"He love you?" She asked her mother.

Olivia hesitated at the question. "Yes." She wasn't going to elaborate on something that she felt wasn't completely true. "Now let's get home so we can get dinner ready, okay?"

She said as she put her child into her car seat and buckled her in and then got into the VW SUV herself.

* * *

><p>"Olivia! Where have you been! It does not take that long to get groceries!" Brayden screamed as his wife walked into the house with their daughter on her hip and some grocery bags in her hand.<p>

"Brayden, not now." She said calmly as she took her daughter into the playroom down the hall from the kitchen. "Lucy, what movie do you want mommy to put on for you?"

"I no help cook?" The little girl asked as she looked at her mother.

"Not tonight baby, now what movie? Cinderella?" She suggested as she placed her daughter on the small couch in the room. Lucy nodded as she laid down on the couch and cuddled with her favorite blanket.

"Okay. There you go sweetie." Olivia said as she kissed her daughter on the forehead and walked out of the playroom and shut the door. She walked into the kitchen bracing herself for the yelling.

"Where were you?" She heard as she turned the corner into the kitchen.

"Brayden, how much have you had to drink today?" Olivia said calmly as she unloaded the groceries and put them away.

"Olivia! You will not disrespect me in my own home!" He screamed at her.

"Brayden, please lower your voice." Olivia was trying very hard to remain calm. She watched her husband get up out of his chair and walk over to her.

"What did you say to me?" She could smell the alcohol on his breath as he towered over her.

"Brayden-" Olivia was knocked to the floor by a punch taken to the temple.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: Chapter three! this is the last chapter I will put up unless somebody requests differently :) **

**Disclaimer: I don't own L&O:SVU (unfortunately).**

CHAPTER THREE:

"Mommy what's wong?" Lucy asked her mother when she saw her mother rush into the playroom and lock the door quickly before sinking to the floor against it and breaking out into tears.

"Nothing mommy is fine sweetie." Olivia said as she pulled her daughter into her lap trying to hide the tears that were flowing from her eyes.

"Mommy?" Olivia heard her daughter ask.

"Yes baby?"

"Why is your head bweeding?" The little girl said as she pointed to her mother's split and bleeding temple.

"Mommy just…uh…fell and got a boo boo."

"Again?" Olivia hadn't realized that her daughter had noticed how many times she had "fallen" and gotten a "boo boo." Not wanting to answer the question Olivia changed the subject quickly.

"Come on sweetie, let's go get some pizza for dinner. Okay?" The small girl nodded as her and her mother stood up. "Mommy is going to go get your shoes and coat, you wait here okay?" She nodded and sat on the couch while her mother left the room.

Olivia slowly walked out into the hall and shut the play room door. She quietly walked into the kitchen to find a couple empty beer bottles left on the counter and the keys to her husband's Mercedes gone. "Lucy! Turn off the TV and come help mommy please!"

She heard the little girls footsteps come from the playroom and into the kitchen. "Yes mommy?"

"Do you want to go on a…" Olivia tried to think of the word she wanted to use. "A vacation? Just you and mommy?" Olivia had decided that being with Brayden wasn't worth it anymore. She was starting to worry about him being with Lucy now, and she had to protect her daughter at any cost.

"Where mommy?" The little girl questioned as her mother picked her up and balanced her on her hip before going upstairs into Lucy's light green bedroom. She set Lucy down on her purple blankets on the bed and knelt in front of her.

"Okay Luce, you can pick out five toys that you want to take with you on vacation. Now, now many is five?"

"This many!" Lucy held up her left hand with all five fingers spread out.

"Good girl." Olivia kissed her daughter's forehead and left her daughter to pick the five toys. "I'll be right back, okay?" Lucy nodded.

As Olivia walked into her bedroom she noticed all the memories on the wall.

The pictures of her and Brayden's wedding day, the pictures from their honeymoon in Florida, a picture that was taken moments after Lucy was born three and a half years ago, and the pictures from the past three Christmas cards.

She walked past the memories from the last four years and went into her closet for the largest suitcase she could find.


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: Thank you so much for the positive comments! I really cant say how much I appreciate them. Here's chapter four!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own L&O:SVU :(**

CHAPTER FOUR:

Once she found the suitcase Olivia filled it with some of her clothing along with some toiletries she grabbed from her bathroom quickly.

She went back into her daughter's bedroom and grabbed some of Lucy's clothing for her.

"Mommy, I picked five!" Olivia looked towards her daughter to see her sitting with two of her favorite stuffed dogs, a sock monkey, a stuffed duck, and a baby doll.

"That's great honey, can you put them in your Cinderella backpack for mommy?"

"Yes mommy." Olivia watched her daughter walk into the closet and come back with her "Cinderellie" backpack as Lucy called it, and then put her toys carefully into the bag. "I done mommy."

"That's good baby. Can you carry your back pack to mommy's car so I can carry the big bag?"

"Yes I can mommy!" The little girl said with pride.

"Then let's go!" Olivia said with the most excitement she could.

Olivia helped her daughter put the backpack on before grabbing the large suitcase and heading down the stairs with her daughter in front of her. The two walked out to the garage where Olivia's black Touareg was parked.

"Okay, hand mommy your bag so I can put it in the trunk." Lucy handed her mother the backpack and waited for her mother to load the two bags into the back of her car. "Ready?" Olivia said as she shut the trunk.

Lucy nodded before yelling. "WAIT! Puppy mommy!" Olivia had realized that she had almost forgotten the purple blanket that Olivia had bought for her daughter soon after she had been born.

"Okay, how about we get you in the car and then I will go grab puppy for you, okay?" Lucy agreed then let her mother help her into her car seat and get buckled in. Olivia shut Lucy's door and ran back inside for the beloved blanket.

As Olivia grabbed the blanket off the couch in the play room she noticed her daughter's favorite movie and grabbed it quickly before rushing out to her car again.

"Mmkay Luce, are we ready to go?" Olivia said as she put the key into the ignition and started the car after she handed the purple blanket behind her.

"Yes mommy." The little girl said as she clutched the soft blanket against her chest.

"Then why don't we get going." Olivia said as she put on a brave smile for the child then turned around and hit the garage door opener above her head.

The black Touareg pulled out of the garage, down the driveway, and onto the street, pausing only for a second to look at the house that held so many memories.

* * *

><p>Olivia had been driving for six hours when the exhaustion finally started to hit her and she decided to pull into a hotel.<p>

She laid her sleeping daughter on the queen sized bed of the hotel room she had gotten for the night before looking at the clock on the bedside table to see it read two thirty a.m. Olivia decided to call somebody before she went to bed herself. She dialed the old number and waited for a voice on the other end.

"Olivia?" A very tired but familiar and comforting voice said into the phone.


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: Oh My God! I am so glad people like this! Thank you all so much for the nice comments! I hope I don't let anybody down. Anyways here's chapter five. I am almost done with chapter six and I am going to try to upload it tonight. I am trying to make this chapter and the rest longer ('cause I felt like I was almost ripping y'all off with the shorties). Thanks again so much! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own the fabulous L&O:SVU (but I wish I did!)**

CHAPTER FIVE:

"Fin, I need your help." Olivia started to cry.

"Olivia! Are you okay baby girl? Where are you?" She knew her old friend had just jumped out of bed and was in the process of getting dressed.

"Fin, calm down. I am fine, we are fine." Fin was the only one Olivia had ever kept in touch with after she left Manhattan just five years ago.

"Olivia where are you sweetie? Where is Lucy?" Fin still sounded very worried.

"We're in a hotel. I left him Fin, we left him." The tears were pouring out of Olivia now. "I'll explain tomorrow-" Olivia was cut off by her friend.

"Tomorrow? Liv are you coming here?"

"Yea, we're about four hours out but I couldn't drive any more tonight." The exhaustion was apparent now as she talked.

"You come straight here okay? You understand? Don't go to any hotel or nothing, straight to my place!" Fin insisted.

"Okay Fin. I'll see you then, night." Olivia hung up the phone soon after that and laid her head on the pillow. Within seconds she was asleep.

* * *

><p>The sunlight and sounds of the highway woke Olivia up, which struck her as odd since she was born and raised in New York City. She looked over quickly to see Lucy still asleep and allowed the relief to flood her.<p>

Olivia picked up her cell phone to see that it was ten o'clock, later than either of them had slept in a very long time. She slowly got out of bed careful not to wake her sleeping child and walked into the bathroom.

"Mommy?" Olivia heard her daughter say quietly while she was in the bathroom. "Mommy! Mommy where you?" The little girl's voice had suddenly become very worried.

Olivia opened the bathroom door quickly and saw her daughter in tears on the bed. She rushed over to her and pulled her into a hug. "Mommy is here sweetie, mommy is right here."

"Mommy I dreamed daddy was here, he hurt you." The little girl was crying now. "He yelled at you and me mommy. He hurt you a lot mommy."

Olivia was starting to cry now too. "Honey mommy is okay, I promise you." She held her daughter even tighter than before.

The two sat like that for a little while before Lucy finally stopped crying into her mother's chest. Olivia leaned back and looked at her daughter with her tear filled eyes.

"Lucy?"

"Yes mommy?" The sound of crying was subtly there in her voice still.

"We're going to visit Uncle Fin in the city okay?" Lucy nodded and leaned into her mother again for a few more minutes before the two finally got up and got ready for the day.

* * *

><p>"Wow mommy look at all the buildings! They so big!" Olivia smiled when she looked in the mirror to see her daughter staring out the window in awe. "Which is Uncwa Fwin's? Dat one?"<p>

"No, you can't see it yet sweetie, we're almost there though." Olivia said while trying not to laugh.

After a few minutes of driving around the block Olivia finally found a spot by Fin's building to park in.

She turned around to look at her daughter after she shut the car off. "You ready to see Uncle Fin baby?"

"Ya! Ya!" Lucy screamed trying to get out of the car seat.

"Okay, hold on and mommy will come get you out okay?" The little girl nodded while she struggled in the seat.

Olivia carefully got out of the car on her side, thankful that Lucy's side of the car was on the sidewalk, and walked around. She opened the door and pulled her three and a half year old out of the car and set her on the ground.

Lucy ran off screaming "Uncwa Fwin" while Olivia was shutting the door. Olivia turned and saw her daughter running up to the wrong building.

"Lucy Elizabeth Samuels! Come here now!" Lucy stopped and walked quietly over to her mother. "Lucy," Olivia said as she knelt down to be at eye level with her daughter, "This isn't like at home where you can run in front of mommy. Uncle Fin lives in a _very_ big city with some bad people okay?"

"Yes mommy. I sorry." Lucy said with a fallen head.

"It's okay, now come on, let's go see Uncle Fin." Olivia said as she stood and grabbed her daughter's hand. The two walked up to Fin's building buzzer.

"Mommy, I hit the button?" Lucy asked with her sweetest voice.

"What do you say?" Olivia said sternly.

Lucy stood with a dumbfounded look for a second. Her face lit up when she realized what she had forgotten. "I hit the button pwease mommy?"

Olivia laughed and nodded before picking up her daughter and pointing to the button. Lucy hit the button twice and smiled.

**I know y'all probably thought that she was calling Elliot (fooled ya! [:) and I promise that those two are going to get together in my story but I wanted Olivia to come back to the city first, then him. I promise y'all I have a plan. [: **


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's**** Note:**

**Disclaimer: I don't own L&O:SVU (sadness)**

CHAPTER SIX:

"Yea?" A rough voice said from the speaker of the buzzer.

"Uncwa Fwin!" Lucy screamed into the buzzer, and also into her mother's ear in the process. Olivia and Lucy heard the machine produce a loud buzz and then the sound of the door beside them unlocking.

Olivia set Lucy down, held on to her hand, and walked into the building lobby toward the elevator. Once in the elevator, Lucy hit the button for the fourth floor as she bounced with excitement.

As the elevator doors opened, Lucy bolted down the hall. "Lucy, what did mommy say?" Olivia said in the same tone she had used a few minutes before on the street.

"No running in fwont of you, but mommy, I wanna see Uncwa Fwin!" Lucy yelled from her spot down the hall.

"Lucy…" Olivia laughed a little as she shook her head and walked out of the elevator.

She stood and looked back down the hall at her mother. "Mommy, where Uncwa Fwin?"

Olivia laughed at her daughter. "Lucy, you passed it. Uncle Fin lives here sweetie." She said as she walked to the second door on the left and watched her daughter come running back down the hall. When Lucy had reached her mother, Olivia knocked on the door.

As the door opened Olivia and Lucy saw their old friend standing there. He knelt down to Lucy's level and held out his arms for the little girl he had considered to be his niece since she was very young.

Lucy jumped into his arms while yelling, "Uncwa Fwin!" Fin and Olivia laughed at Lucy as they walked into the apartment.

"Hey Luce, how ya been sweetheart?" Fin asked his "niece."

"I good! Mommy and I is on vacation wit out daddy. He was mean yesterday." Lucy told her uncle.

"I know." Fin looked at Olivia and saw the gash on her forehead. "How about you go watch some Dora in the living room, I left it on just for you kiddo." Lucy hugged her uncle before she was put down and ran into the living room.

"Liv, how are ya hun?" Fin said as he pulled her into a hug.

"I'm fine Fin." She responded without thought.

"Liv, don't lie to me." Fin said when he called Olivia out.

"Really Fin, I am." She tried to reassure him.

"Liv," Fin paused as if looking for words, "What happened?" Fin said as he looked at the gash on his friend's forehead more closely.

"Fin, I'm-" Olivia was cut off.

"Olivia, I didn't ask how you were, I asked what happened."

Olivia paused at Fin's statement. She could feel the tears in her eyes as she started to tell the story, "He was drunk when I got home from the grocery store with Lucy yesterday, like he always is now. He yelled at me as I walked in the door, which is when I decided Lucy needed to go to her playroom while I made dinner. As I was putting away groceries he started yelling at me." Olivia paused to collect her thoughts. "I had asked him how much he had to drink, and that's when he punched me and I knocked was knocked to the floor."

"Liv-" This time it was Fin's turn to be cut off.

Olivia started to cry. "I didn't realize how much Lucy knew about the abuse, but when I told her I fell and hit my head she asked 'again?' and…and I had to get her out of there Fin." The tears were pouring out now as she hugged Fin. "I didn't want her to be hurt."

"How long has this been going on Liv? Why didn't you call me sooner?" Fin could feel the anger inside him growing but held it in.

"I don't know, two years maybe."

"When did this start sweetie?" Fin asked as he pulled her back to look at her face.

"He was fine, up until Lucy's first birthday. That's when he started drinking more often." She paused. "He didn't want kids, he never had."

"Liv, look at me baby girl." Olivia looked into her friend's eyes and felt safe again. "You are going to get through this. Now calm down. Everything's gonna be okay." Fin pulled her into a quick hug again. "Now go get cleaned up. You don't want her to see ya like this." Olivia nodded before walking into the bathroom.

* * *

><p>In the past four years Olivia hadn't realized how much she had changed into a completely new and different person. Her hair had grown and become longer, it became darker in color, her makeup was applied differently each morning, her looks had changed into a more motherly woman's looks, her purse carried different items than it used to, she started driving a larger and safer car, she kept a set of emergency clothes in the trunk of her car, she makes sure to always have something to distract her daughter, and above all she had become soft.<p>

Olivia looked in the mirror to see a very different person from who she had seen yesterday morning in the mirror. She had stood up for the first time in years and she was glad. She had changed, and she realized that she was starting to look like her old self again, and then something occurred to her, it was time for "Bad ass Benson" to make a comeback.

**I couldn't resist using the nickname :) I promise Elliot and the rest of the gang will be back in the very near future. Hope y'all thought this chapter was a good one (I liked it if that counts...which it does) Feel free to leave your comments :)**


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note: I'm so excited, I was in a writing mood a few minutes ago and finished chapter seven! Yay! So here it is! I'm working on eight now :)**

**Disclaimer: I wish I owned L&O:SVU...but I don't.**

CHAPTER SEVEN:

"Mommy, what dat building?" Lucy asked her mother as the two stood in front of the 1-6.

"That, baby," Olivia said as she picked up her daughter, "Is where mommy used to work before you were born."

"Oh. Is dat where Uncwa Fwin works?" She asked as the two walked into the lobby.

"Yes, this is where Uncle Fin works." Olivia replied as she walked through the lobby and into the elevator quickly hitting the correct button.

As the elevator started moving, Olivia started to recall her last moments in here while her daughter started rambling on about what Dora had done that morning.

* * *

><p><em>Olivia looked around the bull pen for a moment, noting each spot and the memories they held. She then looked down at the empty box sitting on her desk and began filling it with the personal items from her desk, and then the few from her locker before confronting her captain. <em>

_She took as long as she could to fish everything out of her desk drawers and then searched her locker three times before finally gaining enough courage to do what she needed to do. _

_As she walked toward Cragen's office door she felt like she was holding the weight of the world on her shoulders. Olivia knocked on the heavy door and waited for the reply. _

"_Come in." She heard from the other side of the door. She gripped the cold metal of the door handle and turned it slowly trying to find every ounce of courage she had in her body. _

"_Captain, can I talk to you?" Olivia as she walked into his office early one morning. _

"_What's up Olivia?" He said as he looked up from the papers he had been working on. _

"_I think I need to leave the job for a while." She replied with a shaky voice._

"_What's wrong?" Cragen had gotten up from his chair and walked around his desk to talk to Olivia more directly._

"_I…I think it's the victims captain, I think they are just starting to affect me much more than I'd like, and I don't think I can handle it anymore. I don't think I would be doing anybody, the squad or a victim, any good if I were to keep working on cases while I feel this way." Olivia said the speech she had so carefully rehearsed the night before._

"_Are you sure about this Olivia?" Don looked at the detective he had considered his daughter for years now._

_She thought about what had happened the day before in the hospital. "Yes, I am." She quietly responded. _

_Don was at a loss for words as he looked at one of his best detectives. "Call me if you ever need anything then." She nodded. "And Olivia, know that you are always welcome back here okay?"_

* * *

><p>The sound of the elevator doors opening pulled Olivia out of her memories. She hesitantly walked out and froze in the familiar hallway.<p>

Olivia set Lucy down and looked at her, "Lucy, will you do mommy a favor?"

Lucy nodded as she stood in front of her mother.

"Will you go into that big room over there," Olivia pointed to where she wanted her daughter to go, "and see if your Uncle Fin would like to go to lunch with us?"

"But mommy, you said I wasn't allowed to go that far in front of you." Lucy replied, quoting what her mother had said yesterday when they arrived at Fin's.

"I know I said that, but you can do it just this once, okay? Uncle Fin is in there, and I am right here." Lucy looked at her mother with a questioning stare but nodded.

Olivia watched her daughter walk down the hall and into the bull pen before sitting on a bench next to the elevator.

* * *

><p>"Munch! I've had enough with the conspiracies today!" Elliot yelled across the room towards John.<p>

"Hey man I'm just saying-" Munch tried to explain himself but was stopped when he had to dodge a stapler being thrown at his head. "Are you trying to kill me?"

"I would only be so lucky." Elliot said as he went back to looking at the file he was working on.

"UNCWA FWIN!" A little brown haired girl screamed as she came into the bull pen causing Elliot and Munch to stop what they were doing. Munch and Elliot both held dumbfounded expressions on their faces when they saw who had come through the door.

"Stabler, does she look like-" Munch tried to say.

"Yea…she kinda does." Elliot got out of his chair and went and knelt by the little girl. "Hi there, my name is Elliot, I am a police officer."

Lucy started at the man who had started talking to her. "Where Uncwa Fwin?" She said politely.

"I don't know who 'Uncwa Fwin' is, can you tell me?" Elliot asked the little girl.

Just then Fin walked into the bullpen from the interrogation rooms, "Lucy?" He hustled over to her picked her up for a hug. "What are you doing here? Where's your mom at?"

"She out in the hall, I is supposed to ask you…supposed to ask you…" Lucy paused trying to remember what her mother had told her to ask Fin. "I don't remember Uncwa Fwin."

Elliot looked at Fin and laughed. "You're 'Uncwa Fwin'?" His laugh along with Munch's could be heard from the hallway where Olivia was trying to ignore them.

"Shut up Stabler." Fin said as he punched his friend in the shoulder.

"Uncwa Fwin! Hitting not nice!" Lucy yelled.

"Your right baby doll, I'm sorry." He said as he kissed the little girl's forehead. "Let's go see what you were supposed to ask me, kay?" Lucy nodded as she and Fin walked into the hallway.

Stabler turned toward Munch again, "You don't think…?"

"I'm not sure, could she honestly be…?" Munch replied.

"Let's go see." Elliot said before he and Munch made it their way into the halls.

**So Stabler and Munch have made their come backs! Yay! Chapter eight should be up tomorrow, but no later than Saturday. Hope y'all like this chapter. Reviews are appreciated and welcome :) **


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note: First off, I am thankful for y'alls comments, they are very encouraging to me. Second off, I like cliff hangers, I think it makes the story more interesting but I did try to make this chapter end with less of one. Third off, I am just warning y'all now, that chapter nine, while I am working on it, may not be up until monday because the next two days are Christmas Eve and Christmas (MERRY CHRISTMAS/HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE!) and I still have some shopping to do and all my wrapping (I am such a procrastinator). **

**Disclaimer: I don't own the fabulous world of L&O:SVU :(**

**Anyways without further ado:**

CHAPTER EIGHT:

"Olivia Benson." A voice say in an almost angry tone. Olivia looked up to see the ADA that had been here when she had left SVU.

"Casey Novak." Olivia responded, mocking her friend in a way.

The two stood there sizing each other up for a minute before starting to laugh and pulling one another into a hug.

"How have you been?" Casey asked as they pulled out of the hug. "It's only been what, four years since we last talked?"

"Yea sorry Casey. I've been…good, could be better, but I'm good right now." Olivia answered.

"Well what are you doing here?"

"I was in town and-" Olivia was cut off by the yelling coming from her daughter.

"Mommy!" Lucy yelled as she escaped from Fin's arms right outside the bull pen doors and raced down the hall for her mother.

Casey noticed the small child running towards the two women and started to question. "Olivia, who is that?"

Olivia knelt down and opened her arms as Lucy ran into them. "Ugh!" Lucy laughed when she thought that she had almost knocked her mother over. "Casey," Olivia said as she stood up with Lucy balanced on her hip. "This is my daughter Lucy, Luce this is mommy's friend Casey." Lucy hid her face in her mother's neck a little before deciding that Casey seemed nice.

"Hello Lucy, it's nice to meet you." Casey said as she tried to shake the little girl's hand causing them both to laugh.

"Hi." Lucy said before looking towards her mother and whispering, "Can I call her Aunt Casey like wit Uncwa Fwin?" Olivia smiled.

"Why don't you ask her sweetie?" Lucy and Olivia had a staring contest for a small time before Olivia caved. "Fine, I will ask her for you." Olivia sighed with humor. "Casey, Lucy would like to know if she may call you 'Aunt Casey' since she calls Fin Uncle Fin?"

Casey laughed at the three year old's question. "Well since you asked so nicely, yes Miss Lucy you may." Lucy smiled at her Aunt Casey.

Lucy remembered why she had come running to her mother at that point, "Mommy! I founded Uncwa Fwin!"

Olivia looked back at Lucy, "Very good sweetie, and did you ask him if he wanted to come with us to lunch?"

Lucy shook her head, "No, some man talked to me and I forgotted my question." Olivia froze.

"What man Lucy?" Being here, Olivia worried who had talked to her daughter when she was out of Olivia's sight, Fin had finally come down the hall to where the three girls were and quickly noticed the look of concern on Olivia's face and answered the unasked question.

"Calm down Liv, it was just Stabler." Olivia felt some relief flood through her body. She didn't want everybody knowing she was back in Manhattan though, especially not _him_. "Hey Casey, how are ya today?" Fin asked as he turned towards the ADA standing in front of Olivia.

"Hey Fin, good and you?" Casey responded as Olivia started wandering through her thoughts. She could hear the conversation going on between Fin, Casey, and Lucy but was completely lost in her mind.

Just when Olivia came out of her thoughts she noticed somebody watching her in particular from the door of the bull pen. "Elliot." She whispered almost to quietly that nobody but Lucy heard.

"Mommy? Are you okay?"

Olivia came out of her little trance and looked at Lucy again. "Of course sweetie," Olivia kissed her daughter's forehead. "I am just fine." Lucy smiled at her mother.

"Hey Liv, did you have something you wanted to ask me? The little princess here forgot." Fin said as he tickled Lucy causing her to giggle along with everybody else.

"Yea, Lucy and I wanted to know if you would like to go to lunch with us?" Olivia asked him then turned, "And Casey, you are welcome to join us if you want to."

"I would love to Olivia, it will give us a chance to catch up." Casey answered before adding another statement, "Is it okay if I join you all Lucy?" Lucy nodded and smiled, she had never been asked that question before.

"I was about to go get something to eat anyways so sure, just let me go grab my coat. Meet you all at the car?" Fin answered.

"That's fine Fin." Liv said as she, Casey, and Lucy made their way to the elevator.

* * *

><p>Elliot and Munch stood at the doors to the bull pen both star stuck at the sight of Olivia Benson.<p>

"Elliot, please tell me I don't need meds." Munch said as he started. "You see her standing by the elevator too right?"

"Her hair, it's darker and longer, and her face looks different, but it's her Munch. I'd know her anywhere. She is back." Elliot answered.

At that point Fin started walking back and ran into the two standing at the door, "What are you two staring at?" He asked as he pushed through the two men and made his way to his desk.

"Fin, how long has she been back?" Elliot asked as Fin grabbed his jacket.

"A couple of days Elliot." He said trying not to sound annoyed.

"Wait! You knew and you didn't tell us?" Munch asked surprised.

"You may find this hard to believe Munch, but I don't tell you everything man, I have secrets."

"And you didn't tell us because…?" Elliot said, not waiting for Munch's smart ass response.

"It's not my place to tell, now if ya don't mind, I'm going to get some lunch with my god-daughter, her mother, and our ADA. Is that okay with you two?" Fin said as he walked past the two again and out the door to go meet the girls.

Elliot sat at his desk and fell back into his thoughts as he started at the currently empty desk in front of him. She was the only partner he never wanted to kill, seriously at least.

**So...? What'd ya think? Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays again. Hope your Dec. 24th and 25th are nice! :)**


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's Note: Okay, I managed to get this written before the big man in red arrived so Merry Christmas! This chapter is a little bit of a cliff hanger but I think y'all will like it. :) I'll try and update by monday but with it being a big shopping/returning day no guarantees...anyways hope you like this chapter! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own the ah-maze-ing L&O:SVU :( **

CHAPTER NINE:

It had been a week since Olivia and Lucy had gone to the precinct and things were going well, Casey and she were just like good friends again, and she had decided that she and Lucy were moving back to the city. Everything was going great, besides the call from Brayden.

* * *

><p><em>Olivia heard her phone ringing and picked it up from beside her and answered without looking at the caller I.D. <em>

"_Hello?" She said as she was looking through the newspaper. _

"_Olivia!"Brayden screamed into the phone causing her to jump a bit._

"_Hi Brayden." She responded in an annoyed tone. _

"_Where are you and _**my**_ daughter?"It was obvious that he was drunk…again._

"_Visiting some friends-" Olivia was cut off by the sound of her angered husband throwing something and then more screaming. _

"_You have no friends! Stop lying and tell me where you two are!" _

"_Stop yelling Brayden!" She felt the courage welling up inside and decided it was now or never. "I am not home, nor am I coming home, especially not with Lucy! And she is _**my**_ daughter! You didn't even want a child! Stop acting like you care about anything except what type of alcohol you are currently drinking! You are constantly drunk, swaying as you walk and slurring your words, she looked up to you! You were supposed to be leading her! I am tired of this! Good bye." She said as she hung up the phone angrily. _

* * *

><p>Olivia looked at the clock to see it read 8:15 and realized her daughter was still lying in front of her watching the TV. "Lucy, go get ready for bed please." Olivia said to her daughter.<p>

"Yes mommy." Lucy said to her mother as she got up and went down the hall into the guest room of Fin's apartment.

Fin waited for the sound of the bedroom door shutting before he started speaking, "Liv?"

"Yes Fin?" Olivia answered not looking up from the laptop screen.

"Do you plan on talking to-" Fin was cut off by Olivia's anger.

"Fin, I swear to god if you finish that sentence with the word 'Stabler' I am going to hit you." She spat at him.

"Liv, he is constantly bugging me. 'How's Olivia today? What is she doing? How long is she here? Is she okay?'" Fin said, trying to sound like Elliot.

"Fin, I know you mean well but I don't want to talk to him right now okay?" Olivia had managed to gain control of her anger a bit while Fin was mocking Elliot.

"Baby girl, what happened? Before you left, what went on between you two?" That was the one thing nobody but Olivia knew, and she planned to keep it that way.

"I don't want to talk about it because it doesn't matter anymore Fin." She paused holding in the tears again. "Now I'm going to bed, I will see you in the morning." She said as she stood, placed the laptop on a small desk in the living room, and walked down the hall into the room her and her daughter were currently sharing. "Hey sweetie, you ready for bed?" Lucy nodded.

* * *

><p>"Morning Liv." Fin said as he walked into his kitchen to find Olivia sitting at his counter with a cup of coffee and the newspaper.<p>

"Morning," Olivia had felt bad about how she had reacted to his questions last night. "Sorry about how I reacted last night."

"It's fine, whatever happened is between you and Elliot, I just wish you would talk to him so he will shut up." Fin smiled as he poured himself a cup of coffee and took a sip before smiling again. "I have missed your coffee making skills, please come back to work so the coffee actually tastes good again."

Olivia laughed at the request, remembering how when John made coffee it tasted like sludge and neither Fin nor El were much better. "You would think that at least one of you would have learned to make a decent pot of coffee."

Both Fin and Olivia laughed as Fin sat down next to her. "So watcha lookin at? Anything interesting in that thing?"

"Apartments, Luce and I cannot live in your spare room forever, as much as I appreciate it."

"Hun, you know I don't mind you two living here." He replied.

"I know Fin and I really do thank you for that, but I can't do that to you." She said feeling as if she was imposing on her good friend.

"All right, well don't feel rushed to get out of here. I enjoy having you two here." Fin smiled, missing the times when his son was young. "I'll see you later okay?" Fin said as he got up and put his dirty cup into the sink before leaving for work.

About an hour later while Olivia was watching the news she heard the cries of her daughter. She quickly ran into the room and found her daughter sobbing into her purple blanket.

"Baby, what's wrong?" Olivia sat and pulled her daughter into her lap to comfort the small child. "Luce? Are you okay? What's wrong?" Olivia waited for a response that never came. "Lucy? Lucy are you okay?" Olivia pulled her daughter's face up to look into her eyes. "Lucy, mommy is here baby, why are you crying?"

Lucy just shook her head and sat crying into her mother's shoulder for a little while before dozing off again. The incident had worried Olivia immensely. What was she supposed to do if her daughter wouldn't tell her what was wrong?

Olivia sat with Lucy sleeping in her lap for a little while thinking before the little girl woke up.

"Morning baby, are you better now?" Olivia asked her daughter.

"Mommy I no wanna go back home, I want here to be home, it nicer." Lucy said quietly. Olivia was both surprised and shocked at the words that had just come out of her daughter's mouth.

"Why Lucy?" Olivia asked hesitantly, scared of the many possible answers that could be used.

"I like here better Mommy." Olivia somehow knew that was about all her daughter would say, and that worried her even more. She wanted to know why her daughter would say that, not that she didn't agree.

Olivia was clueless as to what she should do. All she knew was that she needed her best friend right now, and that meant she had to give in.

The two girls laid there for a little while longer before Lucy got hungry. Olivia set a bowl of cereal in front of Lucy then went into the living room to make a phone call. She heard three rings and then exactly what she wanted to hear, what she needed to hear.

"Hello?" He said.

"Elliot," Olivia could feel the tears coming. "El, I need your help."

"Where are you?" He voice sounded rushed in a way.

"Fin's." Was all she could say now.

"I'll be there soon Liv."

**So...? How'd I do on this chapter? Reviews are appriciated. :) MERRY CHRISTMAS! :)**


	10. Chapter 10

**Author's Note: Heyy everybody! Hope y'alls Christmases were nice! Anyways here's chapter 10! Hope y'all enjoy it! (I'm pretty sure you will enjoy the end of it ;)) **

**Disclaimer: Unfortunately Santa didn't give me L&O:SVU as a christmas present like I asked :(**

CHAPTER TEN:

Elliot knocked quickly on the door, anxious to see his old partner once again. The possibilities of what could be wrong with Olivia left running through his head had left Elliot's heart racing. He had been so worried that he used the siren of the sedan the whole way just so that he could speed through the city.

* * *

><p>Olivia heard the loud knocking and rushed to the door, "Hold on El!" When she used that nickname it felt like it was old times again. She opened the door and saw her best friend standing there almost smiling at her.<p>

"Honey, I'm home." Elliot said sweetly as he pulled her into a hug. "Liv, what's wrong?" He could feel the sobs coming from her body while she was enveloped in his arms.

"I…I think…I think he…" Olivia was losing her words in the waves of tears that were pouring out of her eyes.

"Breathe. Take a deep breath Olivia." Elliot tried to comfort her after a minute of telling her to breathe he walked her slowly into the apartment and saw Lucy sitting on the living room couch in pajamas watching Sesame Street.

"Mommy look at what Abby and Elmo doing!" Lucy yelled behind her while happily giggling.

Olivia quickly gained control of herself and walked over to her daughter, "Lucy, sweetie, can you go watch this in our room for a little while please?" Lucy looked up at her mother and saw the remnants of tears on Olivia's cheeks.

"Mommy? Is you okay?" She asked sweetly. Olivia smiled and nodded at her daughter, wiping the fresh tears away from her eyes.

"I'm okay sweetie, I just want to talk to Mr. Elliot alone, is that okay?" Olivia asked the little girl.

"Otay mommy." Lucy said as she stood up and held her hand out for her mother to take.

Elliot watched the two girls walk down the hall and into the guest room. From the living room he heard the sweetest thing a child could say to their mother, "I love you mommy."

Olivia walked back out and shut the door before walking back into the living room. "El, I think he might have hurt her."

"What? Who? When?" Elliot's mind was racing again.

"Brayden, my…my uh" She wasn't sure what to call the man anymore. "Lucy's father. I think he might have hurt my baby." Olivia broke into a new crying fit, something she rarely ever did in front of any one.

* * *

><p>"Elliot! I told you the room is messy! Why did you go in there? I asked you not to go in there!" Olivia yelled as Elliot back into the hall from the guest room. Olivia looked at the neutral expression that was on his face, "What did she say El?"<p>

"Liv, he did abuse her, but not in the way you were thinking of." He could see the relief clearly washing over her.

"How did he abuse her then Elliot?" She asked after a moment.

"Has she ever broken her arm, or gotten a black eye, or any odd bruises?" He asked in his cop voice.

"Yes…?" Olivia quickly put the pieces together in her head, "Oh my god Elliot! How could I have missed all of this? Why did I believe her when she said she fell? I knew that Brayden had taken her to daycare that day. That is always my excuse when she asks me what happened too, I always use that one with her! Why did I believe it when it came from her mouth?" Olivia started crying again.

"Olivia, you can't beat yourself up over this, it isn't your fault. You didn't know." He said pulling her into another hug.

"I should…have seen it…Elliot," She tried to calm the sobs so she could talk, "I only worked in SVU for seven and a half years!" She looked up into his face. "Why didn't the alarms in my head go off?"

Elliot and Olivia stayed that way for a while before she finally stopped crying and beating herself up enough.

After a while, she hit her old partner on the shoulder lightly.

"Oww, what was that for?" He said as he rubbed his shoulder jokingly.

"I told you not to go into my room, and you did." She yelled at him as she turned and went for the bathroom to see how bad her face looked from crying.

"You said it was messy. I have five kids Olivia, I think I can handle a messy bedroom." He said to her.

Olivia turned on her toes quickly, "Five? When I left you only had four." She tried to hide her hurt feelings as she thought about Elliot being married.

"It was a momentary lapse in judgment," He chose his words carefully yet truthfully, "I think Kathy thought that if she got pregnant again, maybe our failing marriage would work out." He saw through Olivia's wall that she had put up when he said five kids instead of four. "And just for the record, it didn't work out."

"Oh, I'm sorry about that El." Olivia said quietly.

"Don't be," Elliot said as he closed the gap between the two of them and took her hand into his hand. The two stared into each other's eyes for a minute. Right before their lips were about to touch, Lucy came out of the guest room with a question, interrupting the intimate moment.

"Mommy, when we going to see Mr. Gibson?"

Olivia quickly pulled away from Elliot and looked down at her daughter, "Soon baby, mommy will help you get ready in a minute okay?" Lucy nodded and turned back into the room.

"Mr. Gibson the divorce attorney Liv?" Elliot asked.

Olivia nodded, "He isn't the man I married anymore, I can't be married to him anymore." Olivia said as she pushed her hair behind her ears letting the healing cut show mistakenly.

"Liv, did he do that to you?" Elliot said as he tried to examine her head.

"El, I'm fine." She said as she tried to cover the mark back up with her hair again. "Now, I kind of have to kick you out so that Luce and I can get ready and go, okay?"

Elliot understood that it was something she didn't want to talk about and tucked his concerns away. "Okay." He said calmly as he followed Olivia to the door.

"Bye Elliot." She said as she opened the door for him.

"Liv," Elliot said with a tone Olivia hadn't heard in quite a while.

"Yes?" She replied.

He leaned forward and pulled her face towards his as their lips touched briefly before he let go and left, leaving Olivia standing there surprised yet happy.

**And...? Who am I kidding? Y'all loved it, I know you did :) Feel free to review if ya wanna :) **


	11. Chapter 11

**Author's Note: Hey everybody! Sorry this chapter took so long, this week was crazy plus I've been working on some school work and hanging with friends while we don't have school. Oh! Happy New Year to ya'll! Hope you had a great New Years Eve/Day! Without further adieu...here's chapter 11! :)**

**Disclaimer: I wish I did own the amazing L&O:SVU but...I don't. **

CHAPTER ELEVEN: 

"He should be getting the divorce papers within the week." The stout man said to Olivia from behind his desk.

"And the name changes?" She asked politely.

"Mommy, is you changing my name?" Lucy alarmingly asked.

"Only your last name sweetie," Olivia laughed. "So you will be Lucy Benson, instead of Lucy Samuels, is that okay?" Lucy nodded and Olivia turned to look at the attorney again who had waited with a smile as Olivia talked to Lucy.

"It will take about two weeks for them to be finalized." He answered.

"Great." Olivia said before standing and putting Lucy on her hip. "I think that was all I needed."

"I'll see you next time then, have a nice day." He said as he stood and walked to two girls to the door.

"Thank you very much Mr. Gibson." Olivia said as she walked out of the office and headed for the elevator with her daughter balanced on her hip.

"Anytime Mrs.-" The man caught his mistake quickly, "Ms. Benson, feel free to call me if you need anything else." He replied kindly before shutting the door of his office.

* * *

><p>"Lucy," Olivia unbuckled her daughter from the car seat. "Lucy sweetie, we're here." She gently shook her daughter awake.<p>

"Mommy, is we visiting Uncwa Fwin?" The little girl asked while wiping the sleep from her eyes.

"We are sweetie, is that okay?" Olivia replied as she lifted the girl from her seat and set her on the ground so she could grab her purse from the car.

Lucy nodded and waited patiently for her mother. "Mommy?" Olivia heard her daughter ask.

"Yes Lucy?" Olivia shut the car door and looked down at her daughter.

"Does Uncwa Fwin have juice?"

She laughed as she answered, "I'm sure he can find some for you baby girl, now come here, this is a busy street so mommy is going to carry you okay?" Olivia picked her daughter up and walked across the street into the precinct.

As the two walked into the elevator Olivia noticed a familiar face, "Alex?"

The tall blonde looked up from the folder she had been reviewing. "Olivia?" She looked her old friend up and down quickly. "Oh my god Olivia! You're back?"

"Yea," Olivia answered, then added, "Well not to work, but I'm back in the city. Why are you here, I thought Casey was the SVU ADA?"

"Welcome back, I wondered why Stabler had been so giddy yesterday when we talked. She's sick, so I'm filling in." She said as she pulled Olivia into a hug. "Who's this, Liv?" Alex said finally acknowledging Lucy on her mother's hip.

"This is Lucy, my daughter. Lucy this is a friend of mommy's," Olivia introduced the two. "She works in the same place as Aunt Casey does." Olivia said trying to make it easier to understand.

"Hi Lucy." Alex said.

"Hi." Lucy replied quietly.

The elevator finally opened its doors to the right floor and both Olivia and Alex walked out while talking about what had happened since they had last seen eachother.

"Alex! We found-" Munch stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Olivia with Alex walking into the bull pen. "Hi Liv, Hi there Lucy."

"Hi Uncwa Munch." Lucy replied.

"What are you two doing here?" Munch said then realized how rude that sounded and tried to save himself, "Not that I don't want you here, but-"

Olivia put on a fake sad look, "Well jeez John, I just thought that I would bring my daughter to see her two favorite uncles and share my news with everybody, but since we aren't wanted here…" Olivia playfully started to turn away.

"Aww Liv, you know that's not what I meant." He said as he hustled to step in front of her to block her exit.

Elliot and Fin heard Olivia's voice from the hall and hurried to get into the bull pen to investigate.

"Uncwa Fwin!" Lucy yelled as she watched him walk in.

"Lucy! What's up darling?" He replied back at her as he and Stabler made it to Olivia's side.

"Mommy and I sawed Mr. Gibson." She stated.

"How'd that go Liv? Are you okay? Do you need to talk? Did you tell him the details from this morning?" The questions started flowing from Elliot before he could grab hold of his tongue.

Alex, Munch, and Fin all turned to stare at Elliot clearly realizing something was up.

"Say what?" Munch said to him.

"Whatch you talking about Stabler?" Fin shot at him.

"Olivia, what details?" Alex asked her.

As soon as the words that came from Elliot's mouth had registered in Olivia's mind her whole demeanor changed. Her eyes began shooting daggers, her nostrils started to flare, and her face had gone to stone as Olivia gave Elliot her famous death glare. Her silence only made ther internal anger towards Elliot, that was clearly building, more obvious.

Fin noticed Olivia's reactions to the questions and realized this conversation was not something Lucy should hear, "Hey Luce, let's go see if we can find some twizzlers in the captain's office." He said as he took Lucy out of Olivia's arms.

When Fin and Lucy were out of earshot Olivia finally spoke, "El, that isn't exactly something that needed to be shared at this moment, nor did I want it to be." Olivia said to him with an annoyed look on her face.

"I'm sorry, I didn't realize you hadn't said anything to them." He replied.

"And when would I have had the time to have said anything? I just got here." She spat.

"I wasn't thinking Liv, I'm sorry." He said harshly.

"You're damn right you weren't thinking Stabler." The conversation between the two was getting heated now.

"What's that supposed to mean…Samuels?" Elliot said, emphasizing her married name.

"It's Benson." She replied fuming.

Alex and Munch stood watching the anger coming off both Olivia and Elliot for a moment before breaking up the small war between the two.

"Olivia, what happened?" Alex asked softly.

"Stabler chill." Munch said as he tried to calm down the man.

"That bastard physically abused my daughter Alex, that's what happened." Olivia said while still staring at Elliot.

"Elliot did?" Alex said since both she and Munch were confused.

"No, Lucy's father, my…my soon to be ex-husband abused my baby." She said, starting to calm down.

"And Elliot knew about it." Alex stated, starting to put the puzzle pieces together.

* * *

><p>"How did he know about it baby girl?" Fin asked while the two ate dinner that night after Olivia told him what had happened in the bull pen.<p>

"Lucy had some...difficulties...this morning, and he was the first one I thought to call." Olivia started to quietly cry as she thought about what had happened.

"And Prince Elliot came to the rescue…" Olivia nodded slightly at the comment.

**So...? Oh, I would just like to say if I have any of the lawyer-ry stuff from the first bit of this chapter wrong, I'm sorry, I tried to make that part seem real but I've never experienced that (I am only in high school after all) so please don't be too mad if that stuff isn't right. :)**

**Anyways, ****I like this chapter, Olivia and Elliot get to be mad at each other plus Alex is back! Yay! Review if you want (I _LOVE_ to read them:)) Hope ya'll liked this chapter as much as the others! :)**


	12. Chapter 12

**Author's Note: Chapter 12! Yay! thank you to everybody who commented on the last few chapters, ya'll are so nice! I'm so excited to get this chapter out so here ya'll go! :)**

**Disclaimer: Still don't own L&O:SVU...sad face**

CHAPTER TWELVE:

"Mommy, Elliot's here!" Lucy yelled down the hall towards the bedroom, where Olivia could hear her daughter and best friend fighting over Sesame Street.

"Grover is my man." Elliot told the little girl.

"Elmo is bester!" Lucy countered.

"No way kiddo, Grover all the way." Elliot replied.

"Not uh!" The little girl yelled back at the man.

"All right you two, enough fighting, Lucy are you ready to go?" Olivia interjected as she walked out into the living room.

"Yes mommy." Lucy answered. "Can you help wit my shoes?" She asked her mother.

"Of course baby, go get them for me." Olivia said before watching her daughter run down the hall and into their bedroom to find her shoes. "Elliot, you do realize you just fought with a three year old over Sesame Street characters?"

"She started it." He replied.

"Can you please not fight with my daughter El?" She asked as she picked up the Barbie dolls Fin had bought Lucy a couple days ago. "She is going to win every time anyway, she is just as stubborn as me."

"I noticed." He said to her.

"You better watch yourself Stabler, I'm still mad at you for the other day." She said before adding, "And I highly doubt that she started it." She said as she turned and noticed Elliot within inches of her.

"She did, I swear." He whispered and then smiled before pulling her into his arms and cradling her face in one of his hands while the other rested on her back before placing his lips onto hers.

Olivia let the kiss slowly deepen before she was startled by a small voice.

"Mommy! I can't find them!" Lucy screamed from the bedroom, interrupting the kiss that Olivia hadn't wanted to end.

"Check in your back pack sweetie!" Olivia yelled back while still staring into Elliot's eyes longingly.

"Are you still mad now?" Elliot asked, holding Olivia close to him.

"What happens if I say yes?" She said playfully.

"Mommy, I found them!" Lucy said, giving little warning for Elliot and Olivia to pull apart before she was back in eye sight.

Olivia looked in the mirror on the wall worrying about needing to fix herself quickly before her daughter saw and realized that her and Elliot were holding hands. They both looked at their connected hands and quickly pulled them apart, both blushing a bit as her daughter ran down the hall.

"You look perfect Liv." Elliot whispered to her as Lucy reached the two.

* * *

><p>"It's got two bedrooms, one bathroom, and an open floor plan..." The realtor listed off the details of the apartment as he led Olivia, Lucy, and Elliot around.<p>

After he had finished talking, the three looked around the apartment on their own a bit.

"What do you think Luce?" Olivia asked as they walked into the smaller of the two bedrooms.

"Is this gonna be mine?" Lucy asked her mother.

"Yep." Olivia said as she picked her daughter up and balanced her on her hip. "And Elliot can even paint it purple for you." She added.

"Thanks for volunteering me Liv." Elliot said as he smiled.

"And mommy will be right next door in the big bedroom." Olivia added realizing that her and her daughter had been sharing a room for almost a month now.

"I like it mommy." Lucy finally answered her mother's original question.

"I think I do too baby." She said as she placed a kiss on her daughter's forehead then turned to look at Elliot, "What do you think? Is it big enough?"

"I think it's perfect for you two." He replied. "It's got everything you wanted." He said then added, "It almost resembles your old place…with an extra bedroom."

"Yea," She thought about her old apartment and realized it did resemble this one…a lot. "I think that's what I like about it."

"Then you should get it Liv, and it's even close to Fin's place," He said, then thought and added, "and mine."

Olivia smiled and handed Lucy to Elliot so she could go find the realtor.

* * *

><p>"Uncwa Fwin! Uncwa Fwin! We founded it!" Lucy screamed as she ran for Fin when he walked in the door from work with Chinese food in his hand.<p>

"What sweetie, what'd ya find?" He said as he put the take out bags down and opened his arms for her.

"A parmen!" Lucy yelled.

"A what?" Fin asked as he and Lucy separated and he picked up the food again to take to the kitchen with her in tow.

"An apartment Lucy, not parmen silly." Olivia voiced as she walked down the hall towards the voices.

"Ahh…that makes more sense now." Fin said as she walked into eye sight. "Chinese anyone?" Olivia nodded and headed into the kitchen to join Fin and Lucy.

"Mommy?" Lucy said as the three started to eat their take out.

"Yes baby girl?" Olivia replied.

"Why was you and Elliot holding hands today?" Olivia froze mid bite and looked at her daughter.

"Do what honey?" she said, trying to think of an excuse while her daughter was occupied with asking the question again.

"You was holding hands wit Elliot today." She restated.

"We were…uh…" Olivia was stumbling through the list of excuses in her head when Fin piped up, saving her.

"So what's this new apartment like Lucy?" He asked as he eyed Olivia, letting her know that the details were going to be discussed later.

**Okay, I liked this chapter a lot! Hope you do too! Reviews are welcome and appreciated! Thanks! :) **

**WARNING: school and indoor soccer both start again tomorrow and I am going to be a little tied up with the homework and games, so updates may take a little longer and I would like to apologize in advance, but I am going to try my hardest to keep updating as often as possible. **


	13. Chapter 13

**Author's Note: Hey all! So I'm actually really excited to share this chapter! Thanks for all the reviews ya'll have been posting! You have no idea how excited they make me! Well here's chapter thirteen (and its a good one if I do say so myself:) )**

**Disclaimer: I wish I owned this fabulous idea/show but unfortunately it's 's. **

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

"Night Fin." Olivia said quickly trying to slip off to bed before he had the chance to interrogate her.

"Freeze." She froze as she realized that she had just fallen for the cop voice. "Get back here and tell me what Lucy was talking about." Olivia turned.

"It's been a long day Fin-" She said, still trying to get away without sharing.

"Now." Olivia had forgotten how scary he could be when he wanted to.

"Fin, she's been watching a lot of Disney movies lately and you know how those are, the whole 'boy falls for girl, girl falls for boy, they live happily ever after' la de da de da-"

"Liv, don't try to fool me with that. She is smarter than most three year olds and you know it. And unless you aren't telling me something, she isn't blind either." Fin stared at Olivia for a minute before she finally caved in and sat down on the couch again.

"Fine," She took a second to organize her thoughts before speaking again, "Did he ever tell you what happened the day before I left?" She asked, remembering that day when they were sitting together in the hospital.

He shook his head while he sat quietly next to her.

"We had a…disagreement in the hospital the day my neck was sliced," Olivia said as she touched the small scar she still had. "And it ended in him telling me that he…he"

"Did he finally admit it!" Fin yelled, cutting her off and suprising Olivia.

"Do what?" She stared questioningly. "What are you talking about Fin?" Olivia started to feel lost in this conversation.

"Really Liv?" The two stared at each other for a moment. "You both have been in love with each other since you walked into the squad room for the first time, everybody sees it…well except for you two apparently."

"Fin-" She started before being cut off.

"Olivia, you can't tell me that you never noticed what went on between you two." Olivia started going through her memories with him. She sat there just remembering for a few minutes before Fin interrupted her thoughts, "You never answered me, did he finally admit it?"

"Yes Fin." She replied softly.

"So is that why you didn't want to see him when you got back?" She nodded at his question.

"And today we were talking in the living room, waiting for Lucy to find her shoes so we could go look at the apartment and somehow we uh…kinda…" Olivia lowered her voice and spoke fast, "madeoutinyourlivingroom."

Fin froze at that thought, "And that's when Lucy found ya?" He asked once he had managed to stop focusing on that one major detail.

"No, she kinda unknowingly warned us before she caught us, but when we pulled apart our hands sorta…didn't."

"Ahh…" Was all he could really say.

The two sat there in the awkward silence for a moment before Olivia got up, "I'm going to bed now, night Fin." She said before walking down the hall and into the bedroom.

* * *

><p>"Munch you owe me fifty bucks!" Fin said happily as he walked into the precinct the next morning.<p>

"For what?" He yelled back across the bullpen.

"Remember that bet we made…"It was obvious that Munch had forgotten about the bet, "When Benson was first assigned here," By this point Fin had reached his desk and was talking quieter now. "About her and Stabler…" Munch's face lit up as he remembered the bet Fin was talking about.

"NO WAY!" Munch's voice sounded like a gossiping grandmother with his reaction. "THEY DIDN'T!"

"Who didn't?" Fin and Munch froze when they realized the captain had heard part of their conversation and was now walking towards them. "Munch, who didn't what?"

"Captain…uhhh…" Munch stumbled on words to explain himself. "Fin, you started this conversation, you get to explain to him."

"Ahh nah Mr. Conspiracy Nut, you screamed it, you answer the question." Fin replied, holding his hands up and backing off.

"Would one of you two like to tell me what is going on?" Cragen was clearly starting to get angry now. "Preferably before I put you both on desk duty for not listening to your superior."

"Okay," Munch finally answered, not wanting to be put through the hell of desk duty, "Benson-"

"Olivia?" He asked, wanting to make sure he was thinking of the right person.

"Yea, Olivia Benson cap, you know, the one partner that actually stuck with Elliot for more than four months." Fin said with a smart ass tone.

"I know who she is Fin. Why are you talking about her?" Both Munch and Fin realized at that moment that the captain had actually not seen or heard from her since she had gotten back.

"She's back captain, she's been living with me for the last couple weeks." Fin said hesitantly. "She and Lucy, her daughter."

"What? And nobody thought to share this information with me?" He stopped as the last five words Fin had just said registered. "Since when does she have a daughter?" He let that question slide, "Where is she?" He almost yelled.

Olivia walked in to see the man she had once considered, and still kind of did, her father look like he was interrogating Fin and Munch. "Where's Benson?" He yelled at Munch and Fin

Olivia looked at the desk that used to belong to her and noticed it was empty. She decided to make an entrance and dropped her purse loudly onto _her_ desk. "No need to yell captain, I'm right here." She stated before adding, "Sorry I'm a little late, something came up." She smiled as she spoke like she had never left.

Cragen turned quickly, "Olivia, what are you doing here?" His face was glossed over with pure surprise as he looked at his detective that he once considered more of a daughter.

'Yea, Badass Benson is making her comeback' She thought to herself before she answered his question.

**So...? I personally LOVE this chapter but I'm biased since I did write it :) Sorry for any typos I didn't catch, I am currently typing with a splint on my right hand because I sprained my right thumb (Joy!) Anyways hope you enjoyed it! Review if you feel the need, all reviews are read, valued, and appreciated! :)**


	14. Chapter 14

**Author's Note: Hey! Thank you everybody for the amazingly nice reviews! I wish I could thank each of you individually but that would take a little too long for me (sorry haha :) ) Anyways to answer the question somebody asked, Elliot's kids are making an appearance...in this chapter! YAY! Anyways here's chapter 14! **

**Disclaimer: Not mine...but I wish it was. **

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Cragen led Olivia into his office and shut the door behind the two.

"Captain-" Olivia was cut off before she could even start to explain herself.

"Olivia! Why did I have to hear from two of my detectives that you are back? And that you are living with one of them?" He yelled.

"Well-"

"And why was I the last to know about your return?" He started to yell again.

"I-" Olivia kept getting cut off by the angered man.

"And what is this about you having a daughter?" He asked.

"Captain! Let me speak and I will explain!" She yelled back to get his attention. "I didn't mean for you to be the last to know, you were just…never here when I came in to the precinct the few times I did. I don't know why nobody told you, it's not like I told them they couldn't. And yes I am currently living with Fin but I'm moving into my own apartment this weekend so that's not for much longer..."

He stared at her, "And you having a daughter?" He asked again.

"Yes," Olivia started to retell the story, "I have a three year old daughter named Lucy. When I left Manhattan, I moved down south to...get away from everything here. I met a man named Brayden who I loved and who loved me back...I thought, we dated for a little while then got married-" She was cut off again.

"And you couldn't have at least sent a save the date or something about you getting married?" He asked with a hurt expression, "You are the closest thing I have ever had to a daughter Olivia." Olivia smiled at the captain who had sat behind his desk now.

She sat down as she continued her story, "It was a small wedding, there were no save the dates." She had an apologetic look on her face as she said that. "And a little while later I found out I was pregnant, that's when we had Lucy. He had never wanted kids but I guess he tolerated her for my sake, then he started drinking and…well here I am." She said purposely skipping the part about the abuse.

"Olivia? Did he hurt you?" Cragen's face was full of anger again.

"Captain, I have already filed for divorce…and I'd rather not relive it." She stated.

"Olivia, you used to tell your victims that they could get justice-" He started to tell her, remembering all the times that she sat next to a victim and comforted her as she was forced to relive the hell she had been through.

"Captain, trust me he will get what he deserves." She said knowing that it was true. "Now I actually came here for a reason." She stated, trying to get Cragen off of the topic of the past.

"What would that be?" He asked her.

"I…I…well…" She hadn't realized how hard this would be.

"Spit it out Olivia." The captain encouraged.

* * *

><p>"Liv! There you are!" Elliot said as he opened the door to his apartment.<p>

"Hey El," She said as she leaned into his open arms for a much needed hug. "How's everything, was she good?" Olivia asked.

"She was fine, Lizzie and her have been playing with the girls' old dollhouse for about an hour now." Elliot replied as the two separated and walked into the apartment.

"Olivia!" Olivia looked over to see Dickie towards the living room Elliot and her had just walked into. "Lizzie, Olivia is here!" He said as he stepped into one of the rooms he went by.

"Olivia? Lucy your mom is back!" Olivia heard Lizzie say from another room before she heard two sets of footsteps. She was then attacked by not only her daughter but Elliot's twins.

"Olivia!" Dickie said as he hugged her.

"Livie!" Lizzie exclaimed as she hugged Olivia.

"Mommy!" Lucy yelled, following the twins.

"Hey guys!" Olivia said as she waited for each of the three to step away so she could walk again. "Dickie, Lizzie, you both have gotten so big!" She said as she actually got to look at the two when they stepped back.

"Mommy! Lizzie and I payed wit her dolls and their house!" Lucy said, wanting to tell her mother about the exciting time she had.

"That's great sweetie, did you behave?" Olivia asked her daughter as she knelt down to be at the same level as the little girl.

"Yes mommy, I were good." Lucy replied to her mother.

"Pinky promise?" Olivia held out her pinky and Lucy shook it. "Good girl," Olivia picked up her daughter and stood again, "Now how are you two? I haven't seen you in so long."

Lizzie and Dickie both replied with "Good." The bunch all talked for a couple minutes before Olivia looked at her daughter again.

"You ready to go then Luce?" She asked the little girl.

"Oh Olivia please don't go." Lizzie asked. "Can't they stay for dinner dad?" She begged her father.

"Yea dad, please?" Dickie added.

"Olivia, Lucy, would you two like to stay for dinner?" He asked.

"Pwease mommy!" Lucy pleaded.

Olivia looked at the four pleading faces, "I suppose, what are we having?" She said as the children yelled in excitement.

"Maureen and Kathleen just went to pick up pizza, they should be back soon." Elliot replied. "Lucy, why don't you and Lizzie go play until the girls get back, okay?" The little girl nodded and Olivia put her down before watching her walk hand in hand with Lizzie back down the hall.

"I'm gonna go get on the computer." Dickie said before walking down the hall and back into what Olivia guessed was his bedroom.

"Dickie! Check on your brother please!" Elliot yelled down the hall and waited to here the muted "Yea dad!"

Olivia and Elliot looked at each other before catching one another's lips in an embrace. Elliot could tell something had changed with her since this afternoon when Olivia had brought Lucy over.

"Liv, what's wrong?" He asked when they broke apart.

"Nothing." She replied quickly. "Everything is fine."

"Olivia…I still know you well enough to see straight though that lie." He replied.

Right as Olivia was about to reply the two heard the door open and the voices of Maureen and Kathleen.

"Maureen! You never said that!" Kathleen yelled as she walked in holding three pizza boxes. "Olivia!" She yelled when she noticed her father's old partner standing in her dads apartment.

"Kathleen what are you scream- Olivia!" Maureen yelled as she walked in with some soda and a grocery store bag in her hands.

"Hey girls," Olivia said as she waved slightly. "How are you two?"

The two quickly emptied their arms and rushed to hug her before answering her question with answers similar to their younger siblings.

Elliot went to get Eli, who had been napping, Dickie, Lizzie, and Lucy for dinner as the three girls started catching up in the kitchen.

Dinner was quite enjoyable for everybody. Olivia learned everything that had been going on with Elliot's kids while she was gone. Lucy told everybody what she had done all day. Both Maureen and Kathleen shared what had been going in the past couple weeks, since neither lived at home anymore. And to finish off the evening Olivia told everybody her news.

**TA-DA! What'd ya think? Feel free to review! I love reading them! Thanks so much! Until next time :)**


	15. Chapter 15

**Author's Note: Okay so I finally got this chapter typed up (Yay!) Thanks for the reviews! I absolutely love reading them all! Hmm...I don't have much to say here today, oh well here ya'll go! CHAPTER FIFTEEN! **

**Disclaimer: I wish I did own this spectacular show...but I don't sadness. **

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

"I'm glad you stayed for dinner." Elliot said as he pulled her into an embrace.

"Me too," She agreed, thinking of the evenings events. "They all seem really happy El. I can't believe they're all so grown up now, well except for Eli but I think he has a good reason for that." She smiled as they split to finish cleaning up the mess that was made in the kitchen.

"Yea…" Elliot said, "You know, they missed you." He admitted to her. "I think they consider you as part of their family…they all love you Liv."

Olivia was losing the battle against her emotions as the tears started spilling in her eyes.

"Dickie! That's my iPod not yours! Just 'cause you lost yours doesn't mean you can take mine! Give it back!" Elliot and Olivia heard Lizzie yell from her bedroom.

"No way! This is mine!" He yelled back at her.

"Uhh Dickie, I'm pretty sure your iPod is lacking the Hannah Montana music." Kathleen said while she and Maureen laughed at their younger siblings.

"I like her!" Lucy piped in making everybody laugh.

"IPod wars…that's something I am not looking forward to." Olivia said while wiping the tears from her eyes.

"You can't have an iPod war with only one child Liv," Elliot replied laughing at her as he pulled her into his arms and started to kiss her slowly but passionately.

"I may have more kids later Elliot." She spat at him in a funny tone.

"Okay then, yes iPod wars are not something to look forward to." He said before kissing her once more, snaking his arms around her waist and pulling her into his chest tightly.

Olivia and Elliot were so caught up in the kiss they missed the footsteps coming down the hall and around the corner into the kitchen. "Can you two not do that in here? God, you're worse than me and my boyfriend." Maureen commented as she headed for the fridge for something to drink.

Elliot and Olivia quickly pulled apart and started blushing. Maureen turned back and laughed at the couple.

The sentence Maureen had said a minute ago was just now registering in Elliot's mind, "Maureen, what did you just say?"

"What?" She replied as she searched in the fridge once more.

"What did you say about us, we're worse than whom?" She froze as she realized what he was talking about.

She grabbed a water bottle out of the fridge and quickly turned and back towards Lizzie's room again.

"Maureen!" Elliot yelled in the direction she had just gone. Olivia couldn't hold her giggles in any longer and was now busting out laughing.

"What are you laughing at?" Elliot turned and asked her.

"You!" She replied in between laughs, "And us…we're two for two at being caught by our kids."

* * *

><p>"Mommy! Mommy! Mommy!" Olivia felt the bed shaking before opening her eyes to see her daughter jumping on it. "Mommy!"<p>

Olivia flipped onto her side and put the pillow over her head as she notice the clock. She had been woken up over an hour before her alarm. "Luce go back to sleep please." She pleaded tiredly.

"But mommy, we move today!" She yelled at her mother as she continued bouncing.

"Lucy Elizabeth…" Olivia said, trying to muster up a stern voice.

"But mommy…" Lucy said as she plopped down onto the bed.

"Lucy." Olivia said as she finally sat up, accepting that she was not going to get back to sleep now. She picked up her phone and looked at the time, seven thirty.

"Mommy I too essited!" Lucy said in her sweet little voice, mispronouncing the word excited making Olivia smile. "We go to da new a-part-men…t" Lucy had to try hard to say apartment, "now?"

"Lucy, come here." Olivia motioned for her daughter to sit on her lap. "Our new apartment isn't ours until two thirty baby. But how about this, mommy will go get a shower, we can have some breakfast, then we can go pick out some furniture?" Olivia asked.

"Otay mommy." The little girl replied happily. "How long till den?" Lucy asked.

"It's almost eight now, so about six and a half hours." Olivia replied. Lucy's face was twisted with confusion, "Six sesame streets and a Dora."Olivia added, knowing that Lucy would understand that more.

"Woah." Was all Lucy said.

"Yea, now why don't you sit here and watch some…hmm…who's on?" Olivia said as she turned on the small TV in the room and flipped through channels. "Diego, how's that?"

Lucy nodded and fell into the trance of kids shows as her mother went to get a shower.

* * *

><p>"Which one do we like Luce?" Olivia asked as the two looked at the sofas in the furniture store.<p>

"Dat one." Lucy said, pointing to a moderately sized brown couch.

"Yea, I like that one too girly." Olivia looked at the sales person helping them, "I think we will take this brown couch, please." The sales girl nodded and added it to the list of furniture Olivia and Lucy had already picked out. "And I think that will be it, you think Lucy?" The little girl nodded at her mother.

"Then let's get you checked out." The sales girl smiled as she led Olivia and Lucy to the front where the registers were.

Olivia paid for the furniture and then had it arranged to be delivered to the new apartment later tonight before she and Lucy left.

"Mommy, we go visit Uncwa Fwin?" Lucy asked as they walked down the street towards their car.

"Well, you have been good while we were shopping, so yes." Olivia replied as she got to the black Touareg and placed her daughter in. When she got into the driver's seat she looked back at her daughter in the rear view mirror, "Ready?"

"Yea!" Lucy yelled excitedly.

Olivia drove through the city laughing at how amazed her daughter still was with the buildings. As she parked the car in front of the precinct she started to feel like something was off. She looked around but saw nothing out of the ordinary so brushed off the funny feeling.

"Mommy…" Olivia heard the fear in her daughters voice as she placed the little girl down on the sidewalk.

"Lucy what's wrong?" Olivia asked a she shut the car door and knelt down.

"Mommy…look." Lucy said and pointed. Olivia followed the small finger and saw what her daughter was scared of. Brayden was standing in front of the precinct doors.

"Okay baby," Olivia said, formulating a plan in her head. "We are gonna stand right here and I am going to call Uncle Fin to come down okay?" Lucy nodded as she clung next to her mother's leg.

Olivia pulled her phone out of her purse and dialed Fin's number quickly, noticing that Brayden hadn't seen them yet.

"Hey this is Fin, leave a mess…" Olivia heard the voice mail and silently cursed.

"Okay change of plans," Olivia mumbled to herself. She dialed Elliot's number noticing that the sedan she had seen him driving was there, but Fin's wasn't.

"Hey Liv." She heard the comforting sound of Elliot's voice and she suddenly felt a little better.

"El, can you come down here please, Lucy and I are in front of the precinct." She asked, trying to keep it together for her daughter.

"What's wrong?" He replied as she heard him rushing to the elevator.

"Brayden's in front of the precinct." She replied.

"Brayden your ex?" Elliot questioned.

"Yea." She said, "El, hurry I think he just spotted us."

Elliot raced to get to the two girls.

**Okay so, I like this chapter :) I hope ya'll do too! Oh and Good News! I got a new brace for my thumb so I can now type a little easier (thank you to spacekitten2700 for the super nice note about typing with one hand!)**

**Feel free to review! I love to read your opinions! **


	16. Chapter 16

**Author's Note: Heyy Everybody! Sorry its been a few days, school is killing me but it's a long weekend so I'm going to try and get a few chapters out this weekend :) Thanks for all the really nice reviews! I love them all! Anyways, I think this is a good one, and don't want to distract you with anymore of this note :) **

**Disclaimer: Not mine...sadness**

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

She knelt with her daughter praying that she had just imagined the look of pure hatred pointed at her. She prayed that she had imagined the grimace that grew on his face when he looked over and probably saw the two girls. She prayed that she was imagining this day, that this day was all a dream, that she was still asleep in Fin's guestroom with her daughter lying quietly next to her waiting to wake her mother up.

All her hopes were crushed as he started to cross the large sidewalk with clear intent.

"Olivia!" She watched her soon to be ex-husband start to storm over towards her and her daughter. "Olivia!"

Olivia looked at her daughter once more, "Lucy, stay behind mommy please, okay?" She said bravely as her daughter nodded and slipped behind her mother's legs. "Brayden-"

"Olivia! What do you think you're doing here? Did you really think you could get away from me that easily?" He tore a wad of papers from his pocket before speaking again, "And what are these?" He yelled. "We are _not_ getting a divorce."

Olivia felt her daughter cringe into the back of her legs. "Brayden calm down-"

"Calm down? Why should I calm down? My wife ran away with _my_ daughter, to the people she told me she has hated for years." He stuck his face closer to Olivia's making it so that she could smell the remnants of alcohol left on his breath.

"Brayden, I need you to relax so we can talk about this, okay?" Olivia said in a calming voice to stall him until Elliot got there.

"RELAX? Why would I relax?" Brayden grabbed Olivia's upper arm and yanked her quickly.

"Brayden, sweetie, you're hurting my arm, please let go." She said, trying to keep her voice consistently calm.

"Olivia, we're going home…now." Lucy wrapped her arms around her mother's legs as she tried not to cry.

"Brayden, I can't-" She tried to stall him some more.

Brayden yanked Olivia's arm, causing her to trip and take Lucy with her. "Mommy!" Lucy finally cried.

"Shut up Lucy!" Brayden yelled only causing her to cry more.

"Shush Lucy, mommy's okay." Olivia replied calmly while trying to hide the tears that were spilling over, "El, where are you?" She whispered to herself.

Elliot ran out the precinct door as Olivia was being pulled from the ground by her arm and Lucy was in tears next to her mother's legs. "Samuels! Let her go!" He yelled as he ran down the steps towards the scene. "NOW!"

Olivia heard Elliot's voice and relaxed a little. Lucy's small body filled with relief to see Elliot running to help her and her mother.

"What, you can't fight your own battles anymore, Livvy? Gotta send your ex-partner for me?" He laughed.

"Samuels. Let go of her…NOW!" Elliot said again closing the space between them seeing Lucy crawl next to the car out of the corner of his eye.

"What are you gonna do?" Brayden asked sarcastically, while dropping Olivia who had been dragged halfway up from the ground. "Arrest me?"

Olivia scrambled away from him to the spot by her car where Lucy had gotten too. "Lucy," Olivia said as she pulled her daughter into her arms. "It's okay, mommy's here." She stated, reassuring herself as much as she was Lucy.

"If I have to, yes I will Samuels." Elliot spat at him.

Brayden leaned forward into Elliot's face, "Fuck you."

Elliot looked quickly at Olivia and Lucy who were both in tears before turning back to Brayden and twisting his arms to cuff him, "Brayden Samuels, you are under arrest for endangering the welfare of a child and assaulting a police officer-"

"What the fuck are you talking about?" He protested.

"Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law..." Elliot continued as he took Brayden into the precinct.

* * *

><p>It had been a couple hours since Olivia and Lucy pulled up to the precinct and encountered Brayden. She had brought Lucy up to the bull pen and sat down in her chair, clutching the child who was quickly falling asleep to her chest.<p>

"Olivia? Lucy? What are you two doing here?" Cragen said walking out of his office, noticing the two sitting at the desk in front of Elliot's.

"There was an…incident…in front of the precinct." Cragen looked closer and saw that she looked like she had been crying.

"Olivia? Are you okay? What happened?" Olivia was holding her daughter tightly.

"My…the man I married was sitting in front of the precinct when Lucy and I pulled up to visit. He tried to drag me back, yelled at Lucy in the process." Olivia held the tears back, "I called El-"

"And Prince Elliot came running…" Cragen finished.

"Why is everybody saying that?" OIivia questioned, knowing that Fin had said that too.

"Never mind, are you two okay?" Cragen asked her.

"Yes, I'm just waiting for Elliot now, he is going to go with us to get the keys to the new apartment." She said. "I hope you don't mind."

"It's fine Olivia, your safety and well being is more important to all of us." He said, smiling and patting her shoulder, "Besides, that just means Fin and Munch get to do more work."

At that moment the two walked in, hearing the last few words from Cragen, "Say what?" Munch yelled.

"Munch shut up! Can't you see the sleeping child with Olivia?" Fin said as he hit Munch's chest. "Where's Stabler? We found something on that case." Fin questioned.

"He arrested Brayden today," Olivia whispered just loud enough for Munch and Fin to hear.

"Why?" Fin quickly asked.

"Endangerment of a minor and the assault of a police officer." Elliot replied as he entered the room.

"Stabler you got hit again?" Munch asked, holding in the laughs.

"No." Ellliot replied, looking worriedly at Olivia, realizing that Munch and Fin didn't know yet.

"Who'd he hit then?" Munch asked, trying to figure it out but obviously confused.

The men all looked at each other in the silence that followed the question. Olivia finally realized that nobody had answered.

"Me." She said quietly, looking up to see both Fin and Munch with confused looks. "The captain couldn't find anybody else who could handle Elliot like me." She paused, "I come back next week."

Munch and Fin just stood there, "That's great Liv." Munch said happily after a moment.

"How did I not know about this?" Fin questioned, "You've been living with me and ya didn't tell me? What the-" Fin censored himself quickly. Fin noticed her puffy eyes and the tear lines on her face, "Are you okay?" He asked as she nodded towards him.

"I'm fine Fin."

"Ready Liv?" Elliot asked while walking to his locker and grabbing a couple things.

"Yea," She said, slowly getting up careful not to wake the sleeping little girl on her chest. "Let's go."

Olivia, Elliot, and Lucy walked out the door for the elevator. As they got in Elliot started to ask questions, "Liv," he tried to be nice, "Are you okay?"

"Yea, I will be El." She replied, still clutching her daughter tightly.

**So...what'd ya think? I'm sure you all had it pegged that she was going back to her job but OH WELL :) reviews are appreciated and loved :) thanks! **


	17. Chapter 17

**Author's Note: Yay! I loved all the reviews! Thank ya'll so much! Here's chapter seventeen (It's pretty good if I do say so myself) hope ya'll like it! (Oh who am I kidding, I'm sure ya will!) **

**Disclaimer: L&O:SVU belongs to Mr. Dick Wolf...sadness**

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

"Liv, the furniture people have finished." Elliot said quietly as he walked into the bathroom to find Olivia. "You okay?"

She jumped a little as she came out of her thoughts, "Yea, why do you ask?" She just stared at him.

"Well, for one your ex-husband did try to drag you back to hell today," Elliot said recalling the event that had happened hours ago now. "And two, your laying in the bathtub." He laughed a little at his second point.

Olivia realized how silly it all looked now, to be lying in the waterless bathtub with her daughter sleeping quietly on her chest. "This was the only room with something in it, there's nothing in the bedrooms…and it was quieter in here." She replied, laughing along with him now. "And everybody always says the best place to think is in the bathroom." She added.

"I don't think this is what they meant." Elliot replied, "Now come on, you still have things at Fin's." He said as closed the space between the doorway and the tub to lift Lucy off her chest.

"But what about the furniture?" Olivia asked as she helped lift Lucy.

"Liv, it isn't going anywhere, we can deal with it when we get back." He replied as he balanced Lucy onto his shoulder now. "And plus we can employ Fin into helping us put together some of this stuff."

The three walked into the mostly box filled living room. "Yea." She replied shortly, "And I think Munch may need to be called in too…maybe even the captain."

"We'll find someone to help us, now let's get going." He said as she grabbed her purse and keys off the counter and walked out the door after Elliot and Lucy, careful to lock it behind her.

* * *

><p>"Lucy, sweetie, you need to wake up now." Olivia cooed as they pulled up to Fin's apartment building.<p>

"No." The small girl said sleepily.

"Lucy, come on now, it's time to wake up." Olivia said a little more sternly.

"Bleh." Lucy replied, causing her mother to become a little angry.

Elliot could see the annoyance in Olivia's face now, "Hey Lucy, come on now, if you wake up now then maybe your mommy will let you go spend the night with Maureen and Kathleen and Lizzie and Dickie and Eli." He propositioned.

"Really?" She asked, starting to wake up more.

Olivia turned to look at Elliot as she finished parking. "Elliot…" Olivia tried to formulate her thoughts into words, "I'm not sure I want her staying at Kathy's, not that I have anything against her but it's just-"

"Liv, Kathy is gone." Elliot replied quickly, leaving Olivia frozen.

"What?" She questioned.

"Later." He said as he got out of the car and started to get Lucy.

"Okay?" She said, getting out herself.

The three walked into the building and up to Fin's apartment quietly. Olivia slid her key into Fin's door and walked in with Elliot and Lucy following behind. "Fin?" Olivia called out.

"Yea?" They heard from down the hall.

"We're here," She said.

Fin walked out into the hall where they all were and greeted them.

"Lucy, let's go get our stuff from our room okay?" Olivia said as she held out her hand for her daughter to take.

"Otay mommy." She replied.

When Olivia and Lucy were safely down the hall Fin turned to Elliot, "What's this about you and her being together?" He asked.

"What are you-" Elliot tried to respond before being cut off.

"Don't play dumb with me Stabler." Fin threatened.

Elliot accepted defeat and nodded at Fin. "Yea Fin."

"Good." Fin replied, "I'm glad you two finally admitted it." He added.

Olivia and Lucy came back into the hall with their bags, "Hey Fin?" Olivia said in her sweetest voice.

"Yes darlin'?" He replied, knowing there was going to be a request coming from her in a second.

"Would you like to come help build some furniture? I will owe you forever, pretty please?" Olivia pleaded.

Fin laughed, "Sure baby girl."

"Great! Thanks!" She exclaimed as she pulled him into a hug.

"Liv and I are going to drop Lucy at my place for the night and then we will be back at her place, so give us about twenty minutes?" Elliot asked.

"Yea, I'll see ya then, I'm dragging Munch into this too by the way." He replied. "Not that that twig could build anything but still."

"Perfect!" Olivia said as she handed her suitcase to Elliot before walking out the door and to the car.

* * *

><p>"Girls? Dickie?" Elliot yelled as he walked in with Olivia and Lucy trailing.<p>

Kathleen was the only one to reply, "Maureen's at the library, Lizzie's at soccer, and Dickie 's at what's-his-face's house…" She tried to remember the name for a moment, "Jake! Dickie's at Jake's house."

"And Eli?" Elliot responded.

"Asleep in the playpen in my room." She responded, looking at her father before looking at Olivia and Lucy. "Hey Liv, hiya Lucy, what's up?"

"Your father volunteered to let Lucy spend the night here, we just moved into our new place and the furniture is still pretty much in boxes. We're gonna be spending most of the night assembling things and I don't really want to keep her up." Olivia replied.

"Yea!" Kathleen replied, "I think we were planning on getting some pizza and a movie tonight so that's perfect."

Elliot looked at his daughter, "Thank you Kathleen, when are you sisters and brother supposed to be home?" He asked her.

"Maureen is supposed to be leaving the library soon, she's gonna call me so she knows what movie to get, Lizzie's practice ends in twenty minutes and she is getting a ride from Hallie's mom, and Dickie is supposed to be home by like seven," Kathleen replied, "God dad, I know your kids better than you do." She and Olivia laughed.

"Kathleen…" Elliot said sternly before Olivia stopped him.

"Calm down El, she's just kidding." Olivia turned to Kathleen again, "Thank you." She knelt down to be eye to eye with Lucy. "You behave for them tonight okay?" Lucy nodded and hugged her mother.

"Bye mommy!" Lucy yelled as her mother and Elliot walked down the hall.

**Reviews are LOVED! Hope it lived up to expectations, chapter eighteen is almost done so that should be up sometime today. I am happy to say the plan for the story is fully planned in my head now so it's just a matter of writing :) **


	18. Chapter 18

**Author's note: Heyy! The feedback on the last couple chapters has been AH-MAZE-ING! Thank you all so much! I am so glad you all are enjoying it! I hope ya'll enjoy this chapter just as much if not more (which I think is the more probable.) **

**Disclaimer: Not mine...though I wish it was **

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

"El?" Olivia asked as they sat at the red light on the way back to her place.

"Yes Liv?" He said, knowing what she was going to ask before she even asked it.

"What did you mean by 'Kathy's gone'?" She asked quietly.

"Kathy…she…she decided she had missed out on some 'crucial experiences' she said." He used air quotes while imitating his ex-wife, "Earlier in her life, when instead of her having no cares in the world, she was pregnant and alone, since her husband was in the marines providing for her" His voice was full of anger, "So she went to go live as many of those 'crucial experiences' as she still could." He replied.

"I'm so sorry El." Olivia said, knowing that even though they had been in the process of getting divorced when she left, she was still his children's mother.

"Its fine Liv, now let's go build some furniture okay?" He said quickly changing the subject as the two pulled into her new apartment building to see Fin and Munch sitting by the front door.

They quickly got out of the car and to the door, "Twenty minutes my ass Stabler." Fin mentioned as Olivia got the front door open with a bit of trouble.

"Sorry, had to do an inventory on the Stabler children." Elliot replied, "And just so you know, they are all still living." He said referring to a joke Fin had made a couple months ago about Elliot possibly killing his children.

"Well that's always good, can't have a SVU detective being accused of murder." Munch added, causing Olivia to jump into the conversation as the group all piled into the elevator.

"I'm pretty sure that's already happened John." She said as she hit the button for the fifth floor.

Munch just stared at her causing Olivia, Elliot and Fin to laugh. As the doors opened they all got out and followed Olivia to the front door.

"Good god Liv, did you order the Taj Mahal... disassembled?" Munch asked as he saw the piles of boxes, two mattresses, and some other pieces of furniture scattered in Olivia's living room.

"Very funny Munch," She replied, trying not to laugh fully, "I had to buy some furniture, seeing as how all of mine is in a different state...in a house that I want nothing to do with anymore...half belonging to a man that is currently sitting in a jail cell at our precinct for trying to take me back to my own personal hell." The feeling in the room had just gotten very grim.

"Sorry, forgot about that." He replied, hanging his head.

"Don't worry about it Munch, let's just get started on building on all this crap." She replied, smiling so that Munch knew she wasn't mad.

* * *

><p>"And were done…finally." Olivia said as she collapsed onto the couch in her living room, admiring all the newly assembled furniture all over her living room. "Thanks guys."<p>

"If I ever see another dresser that has to be built, I will kill somebody." Munch stated as he collapsed on the couch next to her.

"What are you talking about? You didn't build shit!" Fin said as he collapsed on the couch too.

"All right you two, you're worse than Lucy and Elliot fighting over Sesame Street." Olivia laughed.

"I so won that fight!" Elliot exclaimed as he came from the bathroom.

"El, you were fighting with a three year old!" She responded laughing.

"You fought with a three year old? That's a low blow man." Fin stated before laughing too.

"Oh don't even start Fin, you and Luce fight all the time over silly stuff." She stated as he stopped laughing and Munch and Elliot started.

"All right well I have to be in at seven thirty tomorrow…today, I'll see ya later." Fin said as he got up, "Munch, don't you have to be too?" He questioned.

"Huh?" Munch asked, "Sorry I dozed for a second." Everybody stared at him and then laughed again. "What?" He asked confused.

"Come on man, let's go. We have court in the morning." Fin said as he pulled Munch up off the couch and out the door. "Bye Liv!"

Olivia got up and shut the front door before turning and staring at Elliot."All right, let's get this small stuff into their rooms," She said referring to the things that hadn't been built in their rooms unlike the beds.

After they had all the smaller pieces of furniture in the rooms they belonged, they collapsed onto the couch again. Olivia shut her eyes for a minute before feeling like she was being watched. As she opened her eyes she noticed that Elliot was staring at her.

"What?" She asked.

"Nothing, just staring at this beautiful woman." He said as he closed the small space between them on the couch.

"Well maybe she doesn't like being gawked at, women aren't animals you know." She remarked while smirking.

"Well then," Elliot said before he pulled her into his arms tightly. "I won't look anymore." He looked up at the ceiling while still holding tightly to her.

Olivia pulled her arms out of the tight hold he had her in and pulled his face down. "Somehow I don't believe that." She said before pulling his head down and cupping his face in her hands so that she could kiss him passionately.

* * *

><p>Olivia's eyes popped open suddenly, her dream had been so vivid. As she started remembering the dream she realized that she wasn't alone in her bed.<p>

She heard the slow and deep breathing behind her, felt the breaths warming here neck, the feeling of somebody's arm rested lazily on her hip, and then she realized that her dream wasn't a dream.

She looked around for a clock, but couldn't find one anywhere. Somehow the two had made it from the couch to her bed. From the light she saw coming in from window, she guessed it had to be at least ten o'clock maybe eleven.

The body behind her started to shuffle a little before speaking, "Good morning sunshine."

Olivia smiled a little at his comment, "Morning." She managed to turn over and look him in the eyes, "How was your night?" She said sarcastically.

"My night was…I think you know how my night was." He replied smiling.

"Enlighten me." She said as they stared at each other. Elliot lifted his hands to her face and pulled hers to his face again.

**So...? I think I already know what ya'll will say but feel free to review 'cause I LOVE reading them :)**


	19. Chapter 19

**Author's Note: Heyy everybody! the reviews have been AH-MAZE-ING! And I am super excited about that. I want to apologize for the amount of time between chapters 18 and 19, but exams are this coming week and all my classes have loaded on the reviews. Okay without any more explanations and thanks, here's chapter 19! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own L&O:SVU :( but I do have fun playing with the characters :)**

CHAPTER NINETEEN

It had been about about a week since Olivia and Lucy had moved into their new apartment. Olivia and Lucy had enjoyed painting the apartment with Elliot early in the week, making a mess in the process. Elliot and Olivia were growing closer, which overjoyed both of them, even stealing a few kisses while painting when Lucy was distracted.

Olivia and Lucy were happier than they could ever remember being before.

"Mommy…?" Olivia heard her daughter whimper from her bedroom as she came out of her thoughts. "Mommy!"

She got up from the couch and walked towards the small girl's dark, but newly purple painted bedroom, "Yes sweetie?" She said as she cracked the door open.

"I no feel good." Lucy said desperately. "My tummy hwurts...a wot"

"Oh sweetie," Olivia cooed as she walked into the room and to her daughter's bed. Lucy had been sick all day. "Still?" Lucy nodded at her mother's question, "What's wrong?"

"There's ickies in my tummy." Lucy whined as her mother sat on her bed and pulled her into her lap.

"Baby girl," Olivia kissed the top of her daughter's head. "Let's go get some medicine for you okay?" Olivia picked herself and her daughter up off the bed and balanced on her hip.

When she got into the bathroom she shut the toilet and sat Lucy on the toilet so she could get the medicine out of the cabinet. As she turned around again she saw the look of pure disgust on the little girl's face.

"I know you don't like it baby, but it will make you feel better, then you can sleep." Olivia encouraged as she filled the small measurement cup and handed it to the little girl to drink.

Lucy hesitantly took the cup and drank it as quickly as she could before making a twisted face. "Ick!" Lucy yelled as her mother took the cup back and rinsed it out.

Olivia laughed at her daughter's expression while she placed the cup on the sink and knelt down to her daughter, "Okay Luce, how about you sleep in mommy's bed tonight?" Lucy nodded as she wrapped her arms around her mother's neck and was carried to bed.

* * *

><p>Olivia was woken up to the sound of her cell phone ringing loudly. She couldn't exactly remember where she left it last night so she started swiping around on the night stand for it, remembering that Lucy was sleeping next to her. She finally grabbed the phone with the fourth swipe and quickly answered it.<p>

"Benson." She said very tiredly trying to get her eyes to open to see who had just called her.

"Liv?" Elliot waited for a response but was greeted with dead silence. "Olivia?" He said again, "Hello? Are you there?" He questioned.

"What do you want El?" She replied slowly, trying not to sound annoyed as she tried to wipe the sleep from her eyes.

"You want to open the door?" She looked at the clock on her bedside table and saw it read six thirty. "Please?" He added politely.

"El, it's six thirty in the morning." She stated as she slowly got herself out of bed, careful not to wake the sleeping child who was sprawled out next to her.

"Yea, I know, I'm sorry. We were chasing leads all night." He answered, "But if you come to the door then I can make it up to you."

She had finally made it out of bed and started walking down the hall. "I'm not supposed to answer the door to strange men." She giggled quietly.

"Oh, you can make an exception for me…I'm an exceptionally _hot_ man standing at your door…with coffee." He replied as he heard her footsteps just on the other side of the door.

Olivia pulled the door open and hung up the phone, "And a big ego." She stated before being pulled into his arms and lips. She broke the kiss and was handed a cup of coffee as she laughed, "Maybe I should open the door for strange men more often, it seems to benefit me well." She smiled as she took a sip of her coffee.

The two stood in the doorway holding each other for a moment before Elliot spoke, "So how was your night?" The two walked in the apartment and sat on the sofa.

She groaned, "It sucked." She sipped the coffee again, letting the heat of the coffee warm her insides thoroughly. "Lucy woke up with a stomach bug yesterday morning and it has continued all through the night, she's been sleeping decently since about three."

"I'm sorry Liv," He pulled her into his side, "You should have called me, it's not like I wasn't already awake." He told her.

"You were working on the case," She explained, "Speaking of which how is that going?" She asked about the case that had fallen into Cragen's hands just a couple of days ago.

"Why do you ask?" He shot back, noticing the strange tone in her voice.

"Oh…I'm just wondering…" She started to smirk, "Just want to know how much work I'm going to have to do on this one when I go back to work tomorrow." Olivia had started back at work a few days ago, doing mainly desk duty this week.

"Oh you're very funny Olivia…" Elliot said as he leaned down and kissed her again. "So I don't get to see your pretty face sitting across from me later today?" He said as he rested his head on hers.

"Well, I do have a sick child Elliot and I doubt I would be able to get work done worrying about her anyway…like a normal mother would." She said as she laughed a little. "What are you ever going to do without me?"

Elliot laughed, "I don't know, how will I survive?"

Olivia lifted her head and looked into Elliot eyes, getting caught in them easily. The two stared at each other before slowly drawing together.

Just as they were getting comfortable, Olivia and Elliot heard the whimpers of a sick child from the master bedroom.

"Shoot," Olivia said as she got up and went to the bathroom for the medicine before going into her room.

Elliot watched the woman he loved walked into her room to care for her daughter. Something seemed different about her, but he couldn't tell what exactly.

**Feel free to review, I love to read them all! Hope you liked it :) **


	20. Chapter 20

**Heyy everybody! I am so glad ya'll are enjoying this story! You have no idea what an excitement it is to log on and see new reviews! Especially when I am unsure about certain things! So here's chapter twenty (I can't believe I have written so many chapters!) I hope ya'll like it, which I'm sure you will :) **

**Disclaimer: I don't own L&O:SVU...but it would be nice if I did **

CHAPTER TWENTY 

"Lucy! Come on sweetie, we have to go!" Olivia yelled towards her daughter's bedroom as she cleaned up the remnants of their breakfast. "Lucy?" She said again when she didn't hear a response.

Olivia walked over to the door of her daughter's bedroom, "Lucy what did you do? It looks like a tornado went through your bedroom."

"I can't find da powka dot socks, mommy!" Lucy was almost in tears, causing Olivia to laugh a little.

"Sweetie, can we look for them later? Mommy is already running late this morning, and I still have to drop you off at Elliot's" Olivia responded to the little girl.

"But mommy! Dey're my favorite!" Lucy said, enunciating the word favorite.

Olivia walked over to her dresser and opened the socks drawer, "Lucy, how about you wear your butterfly socks?" She said as she pulled a pair out of the drawer.

"But mommy…" Lucy whined.

"Lucy Elizabeth…" Olivia replied in a very motherly voice.

"Yes mommy." Lucy said as she hung her head and walked over to sit on her bed so Olivia could put her socks on.

"Thank you." Olivia said, kneeling next to her daughter to put the socks on. "Now, let's get going okay?" She asked as she picked Lucy up and walked out of the room, turning the light off in the process.

Olivia grabbed her purse and phone, and locked the door, then walked out to her car and put Lucy in. As she got into the front seat Olivia's phone rang.

"Benson." She immediately answered.

"Olivia, where are you?" Captain Cragen asked.

"I'm just leaving now, I know I'm late Captain, sorry." She responded as she started the car.

"Is Stabler with you?" He asked.

"No, I'm on the way to his place now to drop off Lucy." Olivia replied.

"Okay, say hi to my girl for me, then hurry over there. You and Stabler have a case waiting on your desks." He said as he hung up.

She pulled up in front of Elliot's building within a few minutes of hanging up the phone. She shut off the car and turned around in her seat to look at Lucy, "Okay Luce, are you going to behave today?"

"Yes mommy." Lucy nodded at her mother.

"All right then, let's go." She said before getting out of the car, and then getting her daughter out of the car.

* * *

><p>"El, can you drive any slower, you're driving like a sixty year old lady?" Olivia teased.<p>

"Would you like to drive Liv?" He spat back before noticing the smile on her face.

"Oh wow," Olivia said with surprise oozing from her voice, "You'd let me drive the car? That'd be a first since…" She pretended to count on her fingers, "We became partners." She replied.

"Oh shut up, Benson." He said as he stopped at a red light and grabbed onto her hand.

"I could get used to this." She stated as the car started moving again.

"Well, let's not get too used to it, you know what will happen if IAB finds out." He said causing the happiness to diminish a bit. "How's it feel to be in the real world of crime fighting again?" He joked.

"So much better than sitting at a desk all day." Olivia responded. "And _so_ much better than a lot that happened over the past three years."

Elliot and Olivia's sedan pulled up to a jumble of cop cars and ambulances that made up the crime scene. The two shared one more look before getting out of the car to face the horror of the job they were both dedicated to so much.

As Olivia and Elliot walked up to the beaten and battered body she cringed.

"You okay Liv?" Elliot asked when he noticed his partner's reaction and reached for her hand sneakily.

"Yea," She replied with some hesitation as she squeezed his hand. "I just forgot how…how it all felt."

"Elliot, recycling partners now? Is Cragen that desperate?" Melinda Warner asked as she walked up behind the two partners as they quickly let go of each other's hand.

"Hey Melinda." She said as she laughed nervously.

"Hey Olivia, how are you?" Melinda asked as she stepped in front of the two and started looking at the body.

"I'm doing well Melinda, how have you been?" Olivia replied trying to hold everything together.

"Pretty well, what brings you back?" The M.E. asked before Elliot quickly interrupted.

"What do we have Melinda?" Olivia shared a 'thank you' look with him quickly before turning her attention back to the crime scene.

* * *

><p>"Olivia?" Elliot said as he cleaned up his desk for the day, "Liv? Liv!" He yelled.<p>

"I can here you El, I just chose to ignore you." She said, trying to fake the fact that she had zoned out again.

"Sure Liv," He replied while laughing a bit. "Come on, it's closing time."

"It's fine, I think I'll just finish this up El." She said as she continued to type on her computer.

"Olivia, aren't you forgetting something?" He said as he walked to his locker and grabbed a couple things before reaching into hers and grabbing her purse and jacket.

"What's that?" She said completely oblivious to everything but the case.

Elliot laughed, "Same old Olivia, throwing yourself into the case until it's solved." Elliot replied as he quickly pulled her chair from the desk and pulled her out of it. "Lucy." He said as he let go of her and held her jacket for her.

"Right." She said as she put her jacket on then leaned over and shut off her computer. "The whole being Detective Benson plus a kid thing, is going to take some getting used to." She stated as she grabbed her purse from him and walked off.

Olivia could feel the eyes staring at her as she walked to the elevator, knowing he would be the only one to hear she said, "El, stop staring at my ass."

"How'd you know?" He said as he caught up to her with a flabbergasted expression.

"Eyes in the back of my head." She said smugly. "It's a mom thing…" She said as they stepping into the elevator and made their way to the car.

Olivia and Elliot talked about random stuff on the way back to Elliot's apartment, where her car and daughter were.

The two held hands the whole ride and at a couple stop lights they leaned over to kiss each other, like love sick teenagers, which caused a few car horns to blare and some fingers to be aimed at them, making them laugh.

As the two finally got to Elliot's apartment door they stood there staring at each other for a moment.

"Do we dare see what mess they made while we were gone?" Olivia asked as she grasped Elliot's hand, knowing that there could be anything behind the door in front of them.

"We could always just stand here?" Elliot said as he wiggled his eyebrows and pulled her into his arms before pulling his free hand to her face and kissing her tenderly.

The two stood there for a moment before they heard giggles from behind the door. They pulled apart and looked at each other, then the door, then one another again.

Elliot quickly opened the door and saw three kids running off down the hall to somebody's bedroom.

"El, I think we might be busted." Olivia said as she reached up to kiss him quickly once more.

**Reviews are appreciated and loved :) Please tell me what ya think Thanks! **


	21. Chapter 21

**Author's Note: Two chapters in a couple hours! That's gotta be some kind of record for me :) Anyways, I hope you like this chapter too...it gets a little climactic at the end (which I think is good) Anyways here ya go! ENJOY!**

**Disclaimer: Not mine...bummer right?**

CHAPTER TWENTY ONE

"Okay Lucy, it's time to go now." Olivia said as she walked into Lizzie's room to see the two girls playing with the doll house again.

"Do we gotta?" Lucy whined. "Can I stay here? I be good I promise." She pleaded as she smiled her sweetest smile.

"Lucy, by the time we get home it will be bed time baby girl. You were over here all day, you even ate dinner with them sweetie. You have to give them a break okay?" Lucy nodded with a frown on her face. "And Lizzie and Dickie have school tomorrow so they have to go to bed soon too, and mommy has to work." Olivia said as she picked her daughter up. "But you will get to see them tomorrow after school, okay? Mommy is going to drop you off here tomorrow morning again so she and Elliot can ride to work together, and Kathleen is coming over here to watch you and Eli until Lizzie and Dickie get home tomorrow."

Lucy rubbed her eyes tiredly, "You pwomise mommy?" She asked her mother.

"Pinky promise baby." Olivia said as she held out her pinky. "Now go put your shoes on for me okay?" Lucy nodded and was put down before racing out of Lizzie's bedroom to put on her shoes.

"Liv?" Lizzie said as she hopped onto her bed.

"Yes Lizzie?" Olivia asked, pretty sure that she knew where this conversation was about to go.

"Are you and…are you…well…" Lizzie couldn't get the words out of her mouth. "Are you dating my dad?" She finally spit out as Dickie was walking past the door. He froze then leaned against the door frame and stared at her waiting for the answer, making Olivia feel like she had just been cornered.

"Guys, I think that's something your dad-" Olivia tried to talk her way out of it but was cut off by an annoyed teenage boy.

"Olivia, we aren't little kids anymore." He said. "Would you just admit that you two are dating? God!" He yelled at her.

"Dickie! Don't yell at her, she didn't do anything!" Lizzie yelled back at her brother.

"Lizzie! She's trying to outright lie to us!" He spat back.

"Well maybe if you'd let her explain! God! It's like you were raised in a barn!" She sent back before Olivia intervened in the bickering.

"If I answer your question, will this argument stop?" She pleaded.

"Yea." Lizzie and Dickie said in unison as they snuck a smile at one another quickly, knowing their plan had worked just like they wanted it to.

"Yes, your father and I are dating. Okay?" Olivia said before hearing Lucy yell for her. "Now I have to go, don't go teasing your father okay?" She said as she left the room.

Dickie stepped aside so Olivia could walk out before walking into his sister's room. "Nice touch with the 'It's like you were born in a barn' it was really good."

"Thanks. You're getting really good at acting angry." She complimented back. "I feel like I should be worried about that, but I think I will worry later and celebrate now." She said as she layed back on her bed smiling.

"Thanks sis, you think it's gonna last though?" He asked his sister as he went to sit in her desk chair.

"Why wouldn't it? They are perfect for each other." She answered. "I mean, you saw dad after she left. He was a total wreck!"

"Yea I know but still, what if they decide that they liked it better when they were lying to themselves." He questioned. "Like before."

"Dickie! You saw them through the peephole tonight! How could they want to go back?" She tried to yell quietly. "Now, I'm going to take a shower, so can you get out please?" She said, wanting to end the conversation.

"Fine, but don't take too long, I want to shower tonight too." He replied as he walked out of his sister's bedroom.

As Olivia walked out of the room she noticed Elliot helping Lucy put her shoes on. She guessed that her daughter had tried to put them on the wrong feet. "Lucy, if you put them on the wrong feet then they don't do what they're supposed to." Elliot said to the little girl.

"Oh." She replied.

"Elliot, she tried and that's all that matters right now." Olivia said as she walked over. "Ready Lucy?"

"Yea!" Lucy said with excitement.

"All right, let's go then." Elliot walked with them to the door.

"Bye Lucy." He said as he leaned down and then stood up again, "Bye Liv." He said before kissing her quickly.

* * *

><p>"Lucy wait, mommy has to get the mail." Olivia said as she watched Lucy race to the elevator. "Lucy, will you come get the mail please?" She asked, trying to get her daughter to be closer to her.<p>

"Okay mommy." Lucy said as she ran towards her mother.

Olivia grabbed the mail out of the box then went to the elevator with Lucy. The two got in the elevator and talked about their day while they waited for their floor. When they finally got there Lucy was starting to doze where she stood.

"Lucy, let's get you to bed okay?" Olivia offered.

"Otay." Lucy said quietly as her mother opened the door and threw everything that was in her arms onto the kitchen table before walking with her daughter to the purple bedroom and helping her get ready for bed.

"Night Lucy. I love you." Olivia said as she tucked her daughter in. "Sleep tight, don't let the bed bugs bite." She added as Lucy smiled.

Olivia quietly walked out of the little girl's bedroom and back to the kitchen table for the mail. It had been a couple weeks now since Brayden had tried to take the girls back and Olivia was starting to feel better about the incident…until she opened a large envelope that had been in her mail.

She dug through her purse quickly for her cell phone as she stared at the papers. As soon as she grabbed it she dialed Elliot's number.

"Elliot! Come on pick up Elliot!" She yelled at the phone, trying to hold the flood of tears back.

"Olivia? Are you okay?" She heard his voice.

"Elliot…" She was in tears now. "El…he's…he's…" She couldn't get the words out over the sobs that were tearing through her now.

"Liv? What's wrong? Are you okay? Is Lucy okay? What's wrong?" Elliot raced through his questions.

Olivia managed to hold her sobs back for just long enough to tell him what was wrong, "El, he filed for full custody….he's trying to take her away Elliot! He's trying to take my baby!" She sobbed.

"Olivia, I won't let that happen, ever. I promise." He said, trying to calm her. "Now take a breath, Lucy is okay, she is in her room, she is asleep, there is no threat to her in your apartment so go to sleep and we will deal with this in the morning okay?" He said, knowing she was exhausted.

"Okay." She replied shortly. "Night El, I love you." She said before hanging up, realizing she had rarely ever said that before and she liked how the words rolled off her tongue.

Olivia walked into her bedroom and collapsed on the bed before taking off her heeled boots one after the other. Then she looked down at her outfit and realized that she couldn't sleep in it so she slowly got up and found a pair of sweats and Elliot's NYPD shirt that he had left her.

She crawled back into bed, taking the time to pull the covers off first this time and curled up under them trying to calm down.

"I love you El." She quietly whispered before falling asleep.

**I 3 reviews :) **

**Warning: This may be the last update until next weekend, I have exams this week that will unfortunately be taking up all my time, but I will get as many chapters out as I can next weekend (cuz it's another three day weekend :)) THANKS! **


	22. Chapter 22

**Author's Note: Heyy everybody! So exams went okay, but I'm glad that I have time to write this story again ideas for it have been running though my head all week for it! Thank you for the FANTASTIC reviews! I loved them so much! I hope you all like this chapter as much as the others :) Here ya go...**

**Disclaimer: Not my property, but sure if fun to play with :) **

CHAPTER TWENTYTWO

"Liv, Lucy, good morning." Elliot said as he opened the door of his apartment.

"Hi!" Lucy said happily as she let go of her mother's hand and ran into Elliot's apartment for the living room where Dora the Explorer could be heard playing quietly.

"Lucy! You aren't supposed to run into people's homes without permission!" Olivia yelled down the hall.

"She's fine Liv," Elliot said as the two watched the little girl run down the hall before turning to eachother, "How are you?"

"How do you think I am Elliot?" Olivia cried as she fell into his open arms, finally letting her walls come down.

"I know Liv." He cooed as she sobbed into his chest. "Everything is going to be alright, she isn't going anywhere, I will make sure of it, we all will." He promised.

She leaned back from his chest and looked into his eyes, "But El, how…how can you…." Olivia couldn't finish her question because of the sobs that were still tearing through her.

"Olivia," He said as he grabbed her hand and led her from the hall into the living room quietly, "Look at her," He told her. "She is happy, you are happy, you both are happy. That's all that matters." He said as he pulled her into his side sweetly before kissing the top of her head gently.

* * *

><p>"Elliot! He fits the description to a T!" Olivia yelled at Elliot, Munch, and Fin in the bull pen.<p>

"Olivia, he was at the movies with his daughter while our victim was being raped! His alibi is pretty solid." Elliot yelled back while Olivia stared at the evidence on the monitor instead of him.

"Look at the evidence! His DNA was at the crime scene, his fingerprints were there! The victim identified him, what else do you all need so that you believe it too?" She yelled as she turned around from the large evidence monitor. "How do you all not see it!"

"Liv, he has-" Fin tried to interject, but wasn't allowed.

"He has an alibi! I know! But his alibi is his _daughter_," She stated, "It wouldn't be the first time a child lied for their mother or father. Elliot, you know, if you asked them to, your kids would lie for you. You know if I asked her to, Lucy would lie for me!" She fired, "If you all know somebody else who could have done this, then please share." She yelled.

"Olivia," Elliot calmly said as he crossed the room, "I know he did this, but his alibi is impossible to go through."

Olivia looked around her, at the men surrounding her before storming out the door with an angry and annoyed expression towards the locker room.

"What's wrong with her today? Sheesh." Munch said, trying to lighten the mood but failing miserably.

"Shut up Munch!" Elliot turned and shot back.

"Must be contagious." He mumbled as he walked over to his desk.

"Elliot, man what's up?" Fin asked. "What's with her today?"

"Samuels filed for custody of Lucy last night." Elliot replied shortly, not waiting for a reply before saying, "I'm gonna go find her." And he left the bull pen in search of Olivia.

Olivia sat on one of the benches in the locker room silently crying, again today. She held her head in her hands as she felt her upper arms be gripped to raise her into an awaiting embrace.

"Olivia, what's wrong." He said into her hair.

"Elliot," She said as she pulled away, "That girl's mother left when she was little, and her father abused her, and when she finally did get away from him she was tossed into a foster home the thrown from one foster home to foster home to another until she aged out. She had to fight her way through those homes and through her own life. She never got to be a kid because she had to grow up and take care of herself." Olivia started to cry again. "What if that's what happens to Lucy?" She questioned.

"Olivia, that won't happen to her." Elliot replied to her. "Custody isn't going to be given to Samuels, we won't let it. We will all go to court that day if we have to."

Olivia fell into his chest again for a few more minutes before finally calming down and pulling away.

"Thank you." She said quietly. "For everything."

Elliot just nodded and leaned down, pulling her lips into his own.

* * *

><p>"Yes El," Olivia said into the phone as she opened her door and watched her daughter run into the apartment happily. "Okay El, we will." She said, "Elliot, I know, now I've got to go find something for this little girl to eat preferably before breakfast time. Good night, I love you Elliot." Olivia said before hanging up her phone and going into the kitchen.<p>

"Mommy!" Lucy yelled as she ran around looking for her mother.

"Yes sweetie?" Olivia replied with her head in the fridge, looking for something to make for dinner.

"Mommy wook!" Lucy said as she danced around the kitchen with a piece of paper in her hand. "Mommy!"

Olivia looked at her daughter as she pulled out the ingredients for grilled cheese sandwiches. She emptied her arms and knelt down to see what Lucy was dancing around with. "What's that Luce?"

"A picture!" She said carefully, as she handed it to her mother.

Olivia took the picture and looked at the little girls drawing of her and her mother. "Lucy, that's so pretty!" Olivia exclaimed, before noticing four barely legible, messily written letters in the bottom corner. "Lucy did you write your name by yourself?"

"I did mommy! I did!" Lucy yelled excitedly. "Dickie and Lizzie taught me L-U-C-Y."

Olivia could feel the tears welling up in her eyes, "I'm so proud of you baby."

"It's for your work mommy!" She said as she leaned back from the hug.

"I love it baby girl, thank you." Olivia said, holding her tears in.

**Please review, they make writing this story so much better :) I'm going to try and upload again within the next twenty four hours so expect another chapter soon :) **


	23. Chapter 23

**Author's Note: Thank you all for the great comments! I am very appreciative for them all! I promised another chapter soon and here it is! Hope you all enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Not my property...unfortunately.**

CHAPTER TWENTY THREE

Olivia sat at her desk working quietly on a case that had been consuming hers and Elliot's time for days now. She and Elliot had been watching each other from the corner of their eyes all day. Finally Elliot left the room while Olivia had gone to the bathroom. When she came back, she noticed his disappearance but ignored it and continued to work on the case.

"Olivia, you seem more relaxed today." Fin noted as he walked over with a fresh cup of coffee in his hand a little while later. "And I'm liking the new artwork." He commented as he pointed to the newly framed picture Lucy had drawn her mother last week.

"Thank you Fin, Lucy drew it, and today is just a better day all together." She replied as she looked up from her computer and at the picture finding comfort in it, "You seem to be enjoying the coffee more." She added as she laughed a little.

"Well it does help that Munch isn't in charge of making sludge instead of coffee anymore." Fin replied happily. "Lucy learn to write her name I take it?"

"Yea, the twins taught her those four letters. She's so proud of it too." Olivia smiled as she shared the little girl's accomplishment.

"As she should be," Cragen inserted as he walked over to join the two detectives.

"Yea, twenty two more letters, and she's set." Munch commented as he walked in. "Liv, where's your partner?"

"Uh…" Olivia stood up and looked around the room, "That's a really good question captain. Why, what's up?"

"I need to talk to the two of you, in my office." Cragen said before Munch could respond.

"I'll…I'll go find him then captain." She said with a questioning look as she got up from her desk.

"Really, am I invisible?" Munch joked.

"No John, you're just unimportant." Cragen answered with a smile before leaving for his office.

Olivia left the bullpen and looked towards the elevator first, before turning and heading for the locker rooms. "Elliot?" She said as she opened the door to the locker room. "El, are you in here?" She searched the room thoroughly before deciding he wasn't in there.

"Olivia, you find him yet?" Fin asked as she walked back in.

"No, have you seen him?" She asked as she made her way over to the stairs.

"No, sorry." He replied.

"Check the cribs maybe?" Munch suggested.

"It's fine, and yea, I'm on my way to check up there now." She stated as she started climbing the stairs.

As she opened the door, she saw a quiet body laying in one of the beds. She quietly walked over to the sleeping body and sat next to it shaking it gently.

"El…El…Elliot, come on, time to wake up." She said gently.

He groaned as he rolled over and slowly opened his eyes to see Olivia. "Waking up to you, is something I could get used to." He leaned up to pull her into a kiss.

"El, El, come on." She said as she tried to stop the kiss. "Elliot, the captain needs us." She said to him once she could pull away.

"Wait to kill the mood." He commented as he sat up and jokingly pulled her into his lap.

"El," She said, trying to hold in her laughs. "If you don't stop, somebody is going to come in here."

"Fine." Elliot said as he let go of her, let her get up, then followed. As the two reached the door he stopped her from opening it and pinned her to the wall.

"Elliot-" Olivia was cut off by her lips being pulled into Elliot's.

Once he finally pulled his lips off hers she made a comment that made them both laugh. "God you're horny today aren't you?"

"No, I just needed one more kiss before we leave the room." She laughed again.

"Let's go," She said as she moved him from in front of her. "You can wait until tonight." Olivia said as she winked at him before opening the door and leading him down the stairs. "I found him Fin."

"Took ya long enough." He commented, not looking up from his work. "Cragen's still looking for ya."

"Thanks." She said before the two walked into the captain's office. "Captain, I found him."

"Shut the door Elliot." Cragen commented as he looked up from his computer, waiting for the door to be shut.

"What do you need captain?" Elliot asked once the door was shut.

"Are you two dating?" Elliot and Olivia froze and looked at each other for a moment.

"What do you mean captain?" Olivia asked hesitantly.

"Olivia, don't treat me like I'm stupid." The captain replied.

Olivia and Elliot shared another look, after a minute the two decided to tell him.

Elliot spoke first, "Yes captain, we are."

* * *

><p>"What do you think he's going to do?" Olivia asked as the two got in the car to go home that night.<p>

"Nothing." He replied while starting the car. "Unless we make it so that this interferes with work, and even then he will probably just switch us with Munch and Fin."

She nodded as she watched the city streets go by as they drove back to Elliot's to pick up her daughter, and car.

As the two walked up to his door she remained quiet. "Liv, you okay?" Elliot asked right outside the door.

"Yea why?" She replied coldly.

Elliot could tell this wasn't something worth discussing at the moment so he pulled her into a kiss for a moment before he opened the door. "Ready to go in?" He asked as he watched her lick her lips, noticing her cold demeanor was gone.

"One more second." She stated, before reaching up to kiss him again, gently running her tongue along his bottom lip before pulling away quickly. "Let's go." She smiled as she pushed passed him and in the door.

As Olivia was being tackled by her daughter Elliot ran his finger discreetly up her spine causing a chill to go through her body and her to turn quickly with Lucy on her hip.

"What's wrong mommy?" Lucy asked as her mother spun quickly.

"Nothing sweetie." Olivia said with attitude that only Elliot could here.

"Night you two!" Elliot yelled down the hall as he watched Lucy and Olivia get in the elevator, with Olivia glaring at him.

**So? Hope ya'll liked it! Feel free to review! Can a few people also include whether or not they see my page breaks (there should be one after Elliot says "Yes captain, we are.") Thank you! :) **


	24. Chapter 24

**Author's Note: Heyy everybody! First off, thank you so much for the help on determining the page breaks (wanted to make sure I was doing them right). Second off, thank you all for the super AH-MAZE-ING comments, they really do make my days! And third off, here's twenty four! :) Hope ya'll enjoy!  
>Disclaimer: I don't own anything of L&amp;O:SVU...but Lucy is mine! :) <strong>

CHAPTER TWENTYFOUR

The sedan pulled into the parking spot in front of the precinct and was shut off before any words were shared between Olivia and Elliot the next day.

"Elliot, what if they do split us up? What are we going to do?" Olivia asked softly as she turned to look at him.

"We will do what we've always done Liv, our jobs." He answered.

"I didn't mean what are Detectives Stabler and Benson going to do, Elliot." She responded. "I meant what are Olivia and Elliot, going to do, and you know it."

He smiled as he reached for her left hand that was on her lap, "We will go to work each morning like normal, we'll get through the days, and then we will go home, be with our kids, and we will be with each other, and we will continue on with our lives like we have been, and everything will turn out just fine in the end. Now stop worrying."

She smiled as he let go of her hand and opened his door before turning back, "Come on, let's go find us some bad guys." He winked before getting out of the car and waiting for her.

Olivia laughed at him as she got out of the car. "You have way to much fun quoting a three year old, you know that right?" She retorted, knowing that the "bad guys" reference was from Lucy.

"What can I say? The kid's got some good ones." He smiled as the two walked into the building.

* * *

><p>"Chinese?" Elliot suggested as he pulled the keys from his pocket and getting ready to unlock the sedan.<p>

"As long as you share the egg rolls this time." She replied, laughing a little.

"I didn't know you wanted one!" He tried to defend himself in the little bickering war the two were having on the way to the car.

"I have always had an egg roll when we get Chinese!" She spat back over the car, staring him down as he did the same to her.

"I forgot." He replied with a smirk on his face.

"Bull shit." She answered, imitating his smirk. "I wasn't gone that long Stabler. You remember everything else about me, there's no way you forgot that one little detail."

"Fine, you win." He smiled as he got in.

As the two got in the car, the reality of their day hit them dead on, dimming the playful mood. The whole precinct had just spent hours exhausting lead after lead.

"Well, that day sucked." Olivia said as she melted into the front seat of the sedan for the fifth time today. "Who the hell thought any of those leads would get us anywhere other than where we already were?"

"Don't ask me." Elliot responded as he started the car. "At least we are still partners though." He smiled before putting the car in gear and driving away from the 1-6.

"For now…" Olivia added dismally.

"Not just for now. Forever." He responded, reaching for her hand again. "There isn't going to be any problems that cause them to have to separate us."

"Sure El," She said as she stared out the window, discreetly focusing her attention on the fact that her fingers were laced in between his.

"What's that supposed to mean?" He questioned.

"Nothing, I was agreeing with you El!" She shot back, knowing that she hadn't meant to yell at him but realizing she clearly had.

"Liv, what's wrong now?" He questioned as he pulled into the parking space in front of their favorite Chinese place.

Olivia took a second to breathe before answering. "Everything, and nothing, if that even makes any sense at all."

"What do you mean?"

"Everything's perfect, but nothing's right." She responded to his question.

"What do you mean Liv?" He asked her again.

"Lucy is happy and yet she is about to be put through a custody battle between her mother and the sperm donor that was supposed to be her father." Olivia could feel tears starting to well in her eyes, "And...she loves you and your kids, and...I love you and your kids...but I just keep getting the feeling that everything..." Olivia was starting to unravel badly now, "That everything is going to come crashing down," The tears were starting to spill over Olivia's eyes now. "Everything is exactly how I've wanted it to be for a while now...and yet everything feels like it's about to be torn apart."

"Olivia," Elliot tried, "Olivia look at me." She slowly lifted her head. "Nothing is going to come crashing down. Lucy isn't about to be put through some custody battle because you won't let her be. And my kids and I will be there for you through everything." He said as he held her face up. "I love you, now if you don't stop worrying about everything…"

Elliot was cut off by Olivia leaning over the center console and kissing him quickly. He looked at her and pulled away, wiping the remnants of tears that were on her face.

"Thank you." She whispered softly

The two sat there in silence staring at one another for a moment before breaking it, and going to order their food.

As the two loaded the car with the food, Olivia looked at Elliot.

"Why are you staring at me? I mean I know I'm good looking but there's no need to stare." He said, causing her to laugh.

"And modest too apparently." She responded before she halted her laugh. "El?"

"Yes?" He responded as he pulled into traffic to go home.

"Can you come with me next week?" Olivia said, referring to the court date for custody.

Elliot froze as he drove the car routinely home. "Yes." He stated shortly, knowing that it didn't sound the way he wanted, but he wasn't able to elaborate.

"Thank you." She replied as the two pulled in front of the apartment building.

**And the thoughts on this chapter are...? I like this, I feel like you get to see some of her softer side again, I'm hoping ya'll do too! Feel free to leave whatever comments you think should be left, I love reading every one of them :) Chapter twenty five should be uploaded soon, the idea is burning through my brain. Until next time! :) **


	25. Chapter 25

**Author's Note: Told you it'd be up soon! Here's twenty five! :) Not much else to say...OH! I'm not sure it's mentioned but Olivia and Lucy stay at Elliot's the night before so that it's less of a hassle. That's it, here ya'll go!**

**Disclaimer: I wish I owned the AH-MAZE-ING L&O:SVU but I don't...**

CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE

"El," Olivia tried to protest as she felt his hands snake under her shirt. "El, we can't."

"Liv, we're fine." Elliot said as he closed the space in between their lips, taking her into a passionate kiss.

"El-" She tried to protest again, but was persuaded by his tongue sliding across her bottom lip begging to be let into her mouth.

The two somehow made it from the couch into Elliot's bedroom. "Elliot," Olivia all but groaned, praying none of the kids heard her, as she felt him slip his hands under her shirt again.

* * *

><p>Olivia woke up to an annoying alarm, in another bed besides her own, which worried her for a second before she realized whose bed it was. She felt the all but familiar arm on her lower body again, and then the comfort relieve her. She felt the warmth of the arm being removed from her and the a thud of the alarm being turned off.<p>

"El," She said softly as she rolled over before being pulled into another kiss similar to the ones that had been placed on her mouth last night. "Mmhmm." She said as she licked her lips when the two separated. "I could get used to that."

He smiled as he opened his eyes once more. "Good morning."

"Yea...this shouldn't be considered morning, but okay." She said as she stared at him.

He looked over her shoulder to see the clock read four fifteen. "Yea, agreed." He paused for a second, "Do we have to hit the road so early?" He pleaded.

She smiled at him and placed both her hands on each side of his face, "Unfortunately yes, we do." She said before quickly kissing him again. "I'll shower first." She stated as she got out of the warm bed.

"We could always save water..." He said, winking, as she looked back at him.

"Why, Mr. Stabler," Olivia acted astonished. "You wouldn't be suggesting that we commit a mortal sin now would you?" She said, desperately trying to hold her expression, making Elliot laugh again. "Because that just wouldn't be right." She said before finally breaking into a laugh as well.

* * *

><p>Olivia walked into the kitchen in a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt for a cup of coffee. She leaned against the counter, starting to think about how comfortable this all felt to her.<p>

"Morning Liv," Lizzie said as she yawned while walking into the kitchen, pulling Olivia out of her thoughts.

"Hi hun, how are you this morning?" Olivia said as she watched Elliot's daughter pull out everything needed for cereal.

"Tired, thanks." She said. "Why do we have to leave this early again?" She asked while sitting down at the table.

"Long drive, Liz." Dickie responded as he walked into the kitchen and pulled a bowl out of the cabinet for himself before sitting down next to his sister. "Where's dad?" He asked as he shoveled a spoonful of cereal into his mouth.

"Dickie, don't speak with your mouth open." Elliot commanded as he walked into the kitchen for coffee, leaning next to Olivia as he drank it.

Lizzie and Dickie shared a quick glance, each knowing what the other was thinking about Elliot and Olivia.

"Want to go throw the bags in the car and I will get the munchkins?" Olivia suggested as she finished her coffee and placed the mug in the sink.

"That's fine," He answered. "Dickie, go get yours, your sister's, and your brother's bags and come help me." Elliot told his son knowing that Olivia and Lucy's bag was already in the car, who had just finished his breakfast.

"Lizzie, where's your bag?" Dickie asked his sister as he got up from the table.

"In my room-" She started to answer before cutting herself off. "Wait! I still have to throw a couple things in it!" She said as she raced down the hall before her brother.

Elliot and Olivia looked at each other, "Are we sure we should make this into a mini vacation?" Olivia asked him.

Elliot laughed, "We have to have somebody to watch Lucy, and then we need somebody to watch Eli, and I can't leave Dickie here alone with Eli, and Lucy and Lizzie are inseparable most of the time…so yes...we do." He said as he closed the gap in between them.

The moment was quickly ruined by the bickering between Dickie and Lizzie.

"Lizzie! We're only going for four days!" Dickie yelled at his sister.

"Oh shut up Dickie!" She yelled back.

Elliot quickly ran into the hall, "Both of you hush! Lucy and Eli are still asleep, and we'd like to keep it that way!" He said in a hushed yell.

The mumbled apologies could be heard from both children before Elliot and Dickie made their way to the door with the bags. "We're going to put this stuff in the car, meet you down there." Elliot stated as he and Dickie walked out the door.

Olivia walked down the hall to Eli's room, which was where Lucy slept last night so that Lizzie wouldn't wake her.

"Liv?" Lizzie said quietly as she passed her room.

"Yes?" Olivia replied.

"Do you need any help?" Lizzie asked as she shut the light off in her room and walked out into the hall.

"Sure, that would be great Lizzie." Olivia said as she and Lizzie walked into the dark bedroom to retrieve the sleeping toddlers.

"You carry your brother and I'll get Lucy, okay?" Olivia whispered.

"Okay." Lucy said before quietly walking over to her little brother's bed and slowly picking him up.

Olivia made her way to the small air mattress in the corner of the room and gently picked up Lucy before looking back at Lizzie and nodding. The two managed to get out to the car without waking either of the younger children.

When everything was loaded into the car and everybody was buckled in the long trip back to what Olivia had considered Hell for the longest time began.

Shortly into the trip all four kids were asleep in the back of Elliot's SUV and Olivia and Elliot were sitting quietly in the front.

"Liv?" Elliot voiced quietly.

"Yes El?" She responded.

"You never said," He started. "Who did you get to be your attorney for this?" Elliot had asked the question several times but she had always avoided the answer.

"One of the best lawyers we know." She smiled.

"And who would that be?" He asked, knowing that there were only two she would trust completely with this.

"Casey, she and Alex drew straws." Olivia laughed a little, knowing it was completely true. "She's meeting us at the hotel."

**Reviews are LOVED! Hope you liked it (and I'm sure you did) Until next time! :)**


	26. Chapter 26

**Author's Note: Midweek update? I'm on a roll tonight! :) I'm glad everybody seems to be enjoying this story so much, it's really nice to read all the positive comments! Thank you all who have commented, favorited, etc. I hope you enjoy this chapter just as much (and I'm sure you will :)) Plus! New SVU tomorrow :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the greatness of L&O:SVU**

CHAPTER TWENTYSIX

"There you all are, I was beginning to think you got lost." Casey said as she walked out to meet Elliot's SUV in front of the hotel.

"Yes, because it makes sense that I would get lost on my way to a place I lived for five years, Casey." Olivia said as she pulled Lucy out of her car seat so the twins could get out.

"Ow! Dickie, hold on! Lucy isn't out yet!" Lizzie yelled from the back seat.

"Can you two behave for longer than two seconds?" Elliot asked when he heard them fighting as he pulled Eli out of his car seat.

Dickie rushed out of the car as soon as Olivia had Lucy out. "Thank god!" He exclaimed as his sister followed him.

"It wasn't that bad, Dickie." She said to him as she took Eli from her father so he could get the bags.

"Wow, sounds like your car trip was fun, huh?" Casey asked as she laughed.

"A blast." Elliot stated as he send Dickie for a luggage cart. "So how's it been here Casey?"

"Nice, and calm, but I have a feeling that is about to change." She said, referencing the four children around her.

"Oh they aren't that bad Casey, here," Olivia smiled. "Hold your 'niece'." She handed the drowsy child over.

"Hiya Lucy." Casey said as she balanced her on her hip.

"Hi." Lucy said quietly, still waking up from her nap in the car.

"Casey?" Lizzie said.

"Yea?" Casey questioned.

"Can I ride back with you? I can't handle another six and a half hours of being stuck in the back seat with that." She said, pointing to her brother who was finishing up with the bags. "Please?"

Olivia and Casey laughed at the request. "That's not my decision kid." Casey responded.

Elliot sent everybody inside to check in as he parked the car. Olivia was the one to go check in as everybody else relaxed on a couple couches in the lobby. As Olivia went up to the front desk, she noticed the employee.

"Emma?" Olivia asked.

"Yes?" The girl said before looking up. "Olivia!" She yelled as she came out from behind the desk to hug her. "Where have you been? We've missed you!" The young girl exclaimed. "Nobody's heard from you in like three and a half months, I was beginning to think the worst."

"Hello, I went back to New York City for a little while, but I'm fine." Olivia said as the two separated.

"And you didn't think to call?" She questioned.

"No, sorry, there was a lot going on." She said as she looked back at Casey with Lucy. "Lucy, come here sweetie." Olivia beckoned, watching her daughter be put down then meet her mother. "Lucy, you remember Miss Emma right?" Lucy nodded shyly.

"Hello Lucy," Emma said as she knelt down to meet the girl. "I bet you don't remember me well do you?" She questioned as Lucy just stared.

Olivia and Emma laughed. "Miss Emma was our neighbor before we moved to New York. Her and her sister used to watch you sometimes, remember, Miss Emma and Miss Sarah?" Lucy's face started to light up as she remembered.

"There ya go, now you remember." Emma said as Lucy hugged her. "How are you kiddo?"

"I good, and you?" Lucy asked politely.

"I am good too, I'm glad I got to see you today." She said as she let the little girl go.

"Mommy, can I go sit with Lizzie and Aunt Casey now?" Lucy asked her mother.

"Sure sweetie," Olivia responded before watching Lucy walk back and turning to Emma again. "How are your parents and your sister?"

"They're good, they were worried about you and Lucy, I'm sure they'll be glad to know that you're doing well." She said as she went back behind the desk again. "Not to intrude, but what happened Olivia?"

"Brayden got to be…" Olivia searched for the words she wanted to use. "too much, I guess is the nice way of putting it." Emma seemed to understand more than was said, knowing how the man could be.

"Oh," She replied. "Well, that's good that ya'll are doing so well now. I'm glad everything is going well." She paused before speaking again. "I hope you aren't planning on coming back though."

"No, Brayden and I are actually divorced for all intensive purposed now, we're just down here for the custody hearing tomorrow because he thinks he should have custody of her." Olivia said annoyed. "How is the house though?" She asked.

"It's still standing, that's probably because he is never home though." She said. "So…Samuelson?" She asked about the reservation, awkwardly changing the subject.

"No, actually it's under Stabler." Olivia answered, smiling at the fact that she was sharing not only a room but a bed with Elliot tonight.

"Found it," Emma said as she organized a small envelope with room keys in it. "Well, have a nice stay. I'll see you around." The two nodded and smiled at each other as Elliot walked in and met with everybody at the couches.

* * *

><p>"Lucy, it's time to go to bed," Olivia said sternly as she sat on the bed her daughter was sharing with Lizzie for the next few nights. "Look, see even Lucy and Dickie and Eli are going to sleep. Even mommy and Elliot are going to sleep." She pleaded with her daughter.<p>

"But mommy, I no wanna go to seep." Lucy responded, losing her words in her exhaustion as she fought to stay awake.

"Lucy, it's very late and we need to go to sleep so that we can be good in the court room tomorrow for Aunt Casey, okay?" Olivia said to her daughter. "Now can you go to sleep for me?"

"Otay mommy." Lucy replied quietly, clearly still fighting the urge to close her eyes.

"Thank you baby girl, good night, I love you." Olivia said before kissing her daughter's forehead and tucking her in, then getting up and going to the doorway of the conjoining rooms. "Good night Lizzie, good night Dickie, good night Eli." Olivia said as she closed the door and walked into hers and Elliot's room.

"She finally asleep?" Elliot asked as he relaxed on the bed.

"No, I'm going to guess she'll be asleep in ten minutes though." Olivia smiled as she crawled into bed next to Elliot, turning her light off in the process.

"I'm sure, with the day she's had." Elliot agreed as he turned off his light, immersing the room into darkness. "Goodnight Liv." He said into her ear as he pulled her close to him.

"I love you Elliot." Olivia replied softly.

"I love you too, Olivia." He said to her. "And Liv?"

"Yes?" She responded as she closed her eyes.

"Everything will work out." He said, reassuring her again.

"I know El. I know."

**Feel free to review! :) Next chapter is the custody hearing! Until next time :)**


	27. Chapter 27

**Author's Note: Hello everybody! It's been a little while since I updated last and I'm sorry about that, school has been in full force this week but I finally got time to write. I know I promised the custody hearing in this chapter, but that has been pushed to chapter twenty eight (sorry but I feel this chapter is important). Anyway, without further explanation...here's TWENTY SEVEN! :)  
>Disclaimer: I unfortunately don't own L&amp;O:SVU <strong>

CHAPTER TWENTYSEVEN

"_Custody is granted to Mr. Brayden Samuelson," The judge declared as he hit his gavel. "with no visitation rights granted to Ms. Benson, that is all." _

"_I'm sorry Olivia, I tried my best." Casey said coldly as she packed up her briefcase, not looking at Olivia as she left. _

"_Maybe it's for the better." Elliot stated, equally coldly before walking out._

"_How can you say that?" She yelled towards him, feeling like she was the only one who cared about Lucy and her well being. _

"_Bye mommy." Lucy said happily as she skipped towards Brayden. _

_Olivia fell to her knees and began to cry. "No! You can't! She's my daughter! You hate her! You didn't want her! How could you be her caregiver?" She screamed towards him. _

_Brayden just smiled smugly at her. "Come on Lucy." He said as he grabbed the girl's arm harshly and dragged her out the doors, leaving Olivia alone in the courtroom now._

"_LUCY!" Olivia cried. "LUCY!" _

"Liv," Olivia distantly heard. "Olivia, come on Liv, Liv?" The voice seemed to be getting louder and closer. "Liv!"

She finally awoke with a jolt, "Elliot! He took her! They gave him custody!" She cried.

"Olivia, calm down, everything is alright, she's fine." Elliot said as she tried to get up.

"No! She isn't not with him! I have to get her back!" She said, still struggling to get up.

"Liv," Elliot calmly said as he grabbed hold of her shoulders, "She is fine, she is next door watching cartoons with Eli, Lizzie, and Dickie." He said as she relaxed a little.

"But…but he took her…they gave him custody." She questioned.

"Olivia, the hearing is today, nobody's been given custody yet." She felt the relief wash over her fully as she leaned into Elliot's chest. "Are you okay?"

She waited a minute before answering as she ran her hand through her hair. "I will be once this is all over."

He comforted her for another few minutes before informing her that they had to start getting ready. Olivia got in the shower first, hoping the hot water would calm her nerves a bit after the nightmare. She stood under the hot spray for twenty minutes before getting the courage to face the world again.

"El! I'm out of the shower!" She yelled as she walked out of the bathroom with a robe on.

He laughed, walking in from the kids room, "Took you long enough, what'd you do, solve the issue of world hunger in there?" He asked, letting his smile linger.

"Oh shut up." She said, before being interrupted with a quick kiss and then watching Elliot walk into the bathroom. "You tease!" She said in his direction.

After Elliot went into the bathroom, Olivia quickly got dressed in her dress pants and under shirt before going into the kids room.

"Hiya mommy!" Lucy yelled as her mother lightly pushed her into the middle of the bed so she could sit down next to the little girl.

"Hi baby girl, how are you this morning?" Olivia asked her daughter as Lucy climbed onto her lap.

"Good." Lucy replied quietly as she snuggled into her mother.

Olivia sat quietly watching the cartoons with the kids while holding her daughter in her arms for a few minutes, knowing that today could change all of their lives drastically.

"Lizzie, Dickie, you two need to get ready please." Elliot said as he walked into the room.

"Yes dad." The twins said in unison as they got off the couch and went for their bags to get their outfits for the day.

"Dibs on the bathroom first!" Lizzie yelled, racing for the bathroom with her bag in hand.

"Lizzie! Come on, you're going to take an hour at least!" Dickie yelled towards his sister.

"Dickie, stop complaining. You can use the bathroom in the other room." Elliot said as he picked up Eli from the play pen. "Nice outfit Liv." Elliot commented with a smile.

"I could say the same about you," She replied, looking at him in his pants and unbuttoned dress shirt. "You might want to button that before we leave there, hun." She smiled.

"All right Eli, let's leave Liv and Lucy to get ready for today." Elliot said to his son as he followed Dickie into the other room.

"Mommy?" Olivia could hear the sadness in her daughters voice as she laid on her mother's chest.

"What's wrong baby girl?" Olivia asked, rubbing her daughter's back in an effort to comfort her daughter.

"Am I going home with you and Ewiot and Wizzie and Dickie and Ewi?" Lucy asked, losing some of her enunciation of her words.

Olivia's world stopped for a minute. She looked down at her daughter, lifting her so that they each could see their faces. They both had tears welling in their eyes as they looked at one another.

"Of course you are Lucy!" Olivia said while holding in her emotions.

"But he…he trying to take me." Lucy said as the tears rolled down her face.

"Lucy, mommy will never let you be taken from her. I will make sure of that, okay?" Olivia stated as she clutched her daughter tightly to her chest again.

* * *

><p>"Ready for this Liv?" Casey asked her friend as the two walked into the courthouse behind Elliot and the four children.<p>

"Not really," She answered. "What if it doesn't go our way Casey?" Olivia asked worriedly as she watched Dickie and Lucy interact as he tied the little girl's shoe for her.

"Olivia," Casey grabbed her shoulders and stopped her. "Do you seriously doubt me that much, that you think I would lose this case? I'm pretty sure I would be able to win this with my hands tied behind my back?"

"I…well no but…I just…its that…I don't…" Olivia tried to explain herself, but couldn't get the words out of her mouth.

"I understand," Casey said as she pulled her friend into her hug. "Everything will be alright Olivia."

"That's what Elliot and everybody else keeps saying…" She replied to the statement.

"But you don't believe it do you?" Casey asked, recognizing the worries that floated around in her best friend's eyes.

"How can I Casey?" Olivia replied. "Look at me, I am a newly single mother, with a job that used to consume almost every minute of my time, living in one of the biggest cities in the world, with no family at all to help with my daughter." She explained, "He has a high paying job with consistent work hours, his mother lives twenty minutes away from his home not to mention both of his sisters, and he lives in a safe and comfortable suburb. I have nothing going for me!"

"Olivia listen to yourself," Casey back fired. "You aren't single and you aren't in any way alone. You have a family that would die for that little girl standing over there," Casey stated as her and Olivia looked at Lucy again as she held hands with Dickie while they stood with Elliot, Lizzie, and Dickie waiting for the two women. "Cragen treats you two like his daughter and granddaughter, Munch, Fin, Alex, and I all treat her like our own child, and don't even get me started on how well Elliot and his kids treat her. That little girl couldn't have any better of a life if she had been born to a king and queen…you have everything going for you!" Casey said to her, "Now come on, let's go make this asshole wish that he had never filed for custody." Casey said as she pulled her friend by the arm towards the small family waiting for them.

**I love Casey in this chapter! I _ promise_ that the custody will be in the next chapter (and I am working on that chapter as you read these words so it should be up very soon :) ) Until next time! **


	28. Chapter 28

**Author's Note: Told you I'd get this one out soon :) Anyways, I would just like to warn you all, I have been fortunate enough in life to not ever have this experience so it may not be fully acurate. **

CHAPTER TWENTYEIGHT

Casey and Olivia sat down next to each other at the table on the left in front of the judge's stand. Casey smiled encouragingly at Olivia.

"Ms. Novak, please call your first witness." The judge called out.

"Thank you, I would like to call Ms. Olivia Benson as my first witness." Casey said politely.

Olivia sat in the chair after being sworn in by the judge.

"Ms. Benson, why did you file for divorce from Mr. Samuels?" Casey asked Olivia as she stood up.

"He was abusive towards me." Olivia stated quietly, ashamed that she had let it happen. "And I was beginning to fear that he would start hurting my daughter."

"And what happened the day that you left?" Casey asked.

"I had taken Lucy with me to the grocery store with me before returning home to cook dinner," Olivia said using a very detective-like voice. "And after I had placed Lucy in another room to watch a movie before dinner, Brayden came home drunk, again, threatening me. After a minute of arguing, he punched me in the temple and stormed out while I ran into the room my daughter had been in. When my daughter asked me how I was always hurting myself I decided it was time to leave." Olivia answered.

* * *

><p>"I would like to call Detective Elliot Stabler as my second witness, your honor." Casey said.<p>

Elliot walked over and sat in the chair after being sworn in.

"Detective Stabler," Casey started. "Lucy admitted to you that her father had hurt her, correct?"

Elliot looked straight at Casey and answered the question with confidence, "Yes she did."

"And you believe the little girl's story?" She asked.

"Yes I did." He replied.

"And why did you believe her?" She questioned.

"There was evidence that made it very obvious that there was abuse going on." He answered.

"What evidence did she have Detective?"

"She had multiple bruised on her arms where she had been grabbed roughly." Elliot stated.

"And there was no reason to believe that it could have been Lucy's mother?" Casey hated the fact that she had to ask this question.

"No." Elliot stated coldly, knowing that Casey didn't want to ask this question but had to.

"And why not?" Casey asked, knowing there would be a sea of apologies owed later.

"Olivia Benson would never hurt a child." Elliot stated.

"And you know this because…?"

"I have known Olivia Benson for twelve and a half years." Elliot answered confidently.

"Thank you Detective." Casey said as she walked back to her seat next to Olivia.

* * *

><p>"I would like to call Mr. Brayden Samuels as my third witness please, your honor." Casey stated in her most polite voice.<p>

Brayden stood and went to sit in the witness seat, stopping to be sworn in before sitting.

"Mr. Samuels, did you want children?" Casey asked the man.

"Not until we had one." He said, obviously acting innocently.

"And did you ever abuse your daughter?" Casey asked, trying to hide the daggers in her eyes.

"No. I would never abuse a child."

Olivia was furious with the obvious lies coming from her ex's mouth. She turned around to look at Elliot, knowing by his expression that he saw through the lies coming from Brayden.

"How long were you and Ms. Benson married?" Casey continued on.

"Just over four years." He replied.

"And in those four years, how many times did Ms. Benson have major injuries?"

"There were too many to count." Brayden answered smugly.

"And that wasn't suspicious to you?" Casey asked, trying to hold in her anger.

"She was home with our daughter all day…I don't know what she did." He answered, clearly starting to worry a little.

"And your daughter?"

"What's the question?" Brayden asked Casey.

"What about your daughter's injuries, Detective Stabler said that there were bruises consistent with where she would be pulled by the arm. What did you think about that?"

"I…I uh…" Brayden didn't have an answer for this question.

"Thank you Mr. Samuels." Casey commented, knowing that Brayden was obviously worried now.

* * *

><p>"One more witness. I would like to call Ms. Lucy Benson as my final witness your honor." Casey said as she looked to the little girl and smiled.<p>

Lucy hopped down from her seat in between Lizzie and Dickie and walked up to the chair her mother, Elliot, and her father had all sat in before her.

As Lucy sat, after being sworn in, she looked at her mother and smiled, trying to calm her mother down who clearly had tears held in her eyes.

"Hi Lucy." Casey said.

"Hello." She replied politely.

"Can I ask you a few questions?" Casey asked her, only intending to ask the bare bones of questions. Lucy looked at the woman she called 'Aunt Casey' and nodded. "Did your daddy hurt you?" Casey asked carefully. Lucy nodded. "Lucy, I need you to speak up so we can hear you okay?" Casey asked the little girl.

"Yes." Lucy said.

"Does your mommy?" Casey asked, knowing the answer and confident it would be good.

"No! Mommy my best friend!" Lucy yelled in response, causing many, including Olivia, to smile and laugh.

"So, do you want to live with mommy or daddy?" Case asked her final question.

"Mommy, she nicer to me Aunt Casey." Lucy replied.

"Thank you Lucy, that's all I had to ask you." Casey told the little girl before helping her back to her spot between Lizzie and Dickie.

Olivia and Casey kept exchanging looks through the rest of the hearing, Olivia worrying and Casey trying to comfort her. By the end of everything Olivia was exhausted.

"Knowing that I have to determine where this child should live and who should care for her, I would like to take a few minutes to decide." The judge said before retreating to her chambers.

Olivia turned around to Elliot again. "El," Olivia choked, feeling every emotion come through her voice. "Tell me everything is going to be alright again, please." She begged.

"Olivia, everything is going to be alright, I promise that. He won't get her and we will go home to be a happy family, okay?" He said as he placed his hand lightly on her cheek.

Everybody sat there for about ten minutes before the judge came back into the room. Olivia feared her dream would come true as she tried to hold in the sobs that were threatening to rip through her body.

"This decision, being that it is about the happiness and welfare of a child, is very important to me. It is not something I take lightly by any means. I would like it noted, I took the child's thoughts into account, even though she is young, seeing as it is her life that is affected here." Lucy looked at the lady, knowing that if she said certain words Lucy would be forced to leave her mommy and everybody she loved in New York. "Custody of the minor, Lucy Elizabeth Benson, will be awarded to…"

**Please feel free to review, I love to know what you all think about this story! I would like to say, I think this story is coming to an end, I am writing (a long) chapter twenty nine, then an epilogue I think :) **


	29. Chapter 29

**Author's note: Heyy everybody! I am _so_ sorry, I meant to upload this last night but I fell asleep. Anyways here is chapter twentynine, thank you for all the great comments! Hope you enjoy! (which I know you will)**

**Disclaimer: Not my property, but I enjoy writing this story about it. **

CHAPTER TWENTYNINE

"Custody of the minor, Lucy Elizabeth Benson, will be awarded to the child's mother, Ms. Olivia Benson." Olivia's stomach jumped, the tears she had been holding in were now falling down her face from the relief and happiness of the judge's decision. Whatever else the judge had said after that, Olivia ignored, knowing that her daughter was hers and hers alone.

"Lizzie, what's that mean?" Lucy asked her quietly once the judge had left the room.

"It means that you are my baby girl." Olivia said as she picked her daughter up from her seat on the hard wooden bench and held her tightly to her chest, letting the tears roll down her cheeks without a care.

"Olivia! Olivia! You can't just take her!" Brayden yelled across the room, causing Olivia to turn and glare at her ex-husband.

"I can. She is _my_ daughter, and my daughter alone now Brayden." Olivia said as she turned back and handed her daughter to Elliot before turning around again.

"She isn't your daughter alone." He said towards her.

"She _is_ my daughter." Olivia spat back.

"You can't do this! She is my daughter Olivia!"

"What are you talking about Brayden? You're just a sperm donor! And you don't get to tell me how to raise her anymore!" She replied to his screams.

"Without me, she wouldn't exist!" He yelled furiously. "I am her father!"

"No." Olivia stated. "_I_ carried her for nine months, _I_ spent eight hours in labor with her, _I_ got up at all hours of the night when she was a newborn or sick, _I_ was the one who quit my job to take care of her! You just started to work more after she left! She is _not_ your daughter…she never has been!" Olivia yelled back.

"She _is_ and always will be _my_ daughter Olivia." Brayden threatened as he closed the space between the two and towered over Olivia.

Elliot rushed to flank Olivia, but was quickly surprised at her response.

"Are you kidding me Brayden? _You_ were supposed to be leading her down the right path, holding her hand, making sure she didn't fall. _You_ should have been the one to threaten to kill her first boyfriend if he hurt her, and teach her to ride her bike without the training wheels, and help her tie her shoes before she leaves for school in the mornings. You were leading her Brayden, but now you aren't." Olivia stated angrily before walking back to Casey, and the kids, taking Lucy into her arms once again and leaving. "And she's all the better for that." She whispered to herself as they all walked out the door.

Elliot stood feet from Brayden Samuelson glaring at the man who had caused the woman he loved so much pain.

"I will get my daughter back." Brayden threatened.

"No. You won't _ever_ have that little girl again." Elliot responded, holding his anger in check barely. "I _will_ make sure of that." He finished before walking out the door.

As soon as they all got to the car Olivia felt the full force of the relief hit her. Dickie saw her starting to break down and quickly took Lucy and placed her on her feet before starting a conversation with her to distract her from the fact that her mother was crying still.

"Thank you Casey, thank you for everything, I mean it." She said as she leaned into a hug with her friend.

"I told you I could have won that with my hands tied behind my back Olivia, and I meant it." Casey retorted.

Elliot smiled at the scene going on as he managed to catch up to the group of people. "Who wants to go get some lunch?" He offered, unlocking the doors in the process of hearing the sound of everybody agreeing on lunch. "Anybody have any ideas?"

"M and M!" Lucy yelled out.

"Lucy, we can't have just M&Ms for lunch kiddo." Dickie commented.

"That's not what she means Dickie," Olivia said laughing hard, knowing that her daughter meant a restaurant by their old house. "It's a diner owned by Emma's parents, the girl from the hotel yesterday, Emma used to take her there when she babysat Lucy a lot. It's been Lucy's favorite restaurant since...forever."

"Well let's check this place out then." Casey commented with a smile before they all crammed into the SUV and started towards Lucy's favorite diner.

As everybody walked into a restaurant a few minutes later, Elliot and Olivia walked a few feet behind them all. "So, how did it feel to yell at an asshole like Brayden like that?" He asked her.

"Fantastic." She replied with a smile, feeling Elliot's hand slide into her own.

Elliot smiled back before thinking of something perfect to say at this moment. "So is it safe to say that the great _Bad Ass Benson_ is back for good now?"

Olivia looked at him for a minute before replying. "Why yes, I do believe she has made her return." She said as she smiled, knowing full well that **Badass Benson was back**.

The moment between the two was interrupted by Lucy calling for her mother. "Mommy! Mommy!"

Olivia smiled as she pulled Elliot along towards the table. "Yes Lucy?" She replied when she got close enough.

"Will you sit next to me?" The little girl asked her mother sweetly.

"Of course baby girl." Olivia said as she smiled back before sliding in next to her in the round diner booth.

"Lucy? Olivia?" The group heard a voice say with a questioning tone. Olivia swung her head around quickly, seeing Emma's mother coming over to greet them.

"Mrs. Grey, hi! How are you?" Olivia said, getting up to receive the hug that was clearly coming.

"Olivia, where have you been? We were so worried about you!" The older woman said, enveloping Olivia in a hug.

"That's what Emma said yesterday." Olivia said when she pulled away from the hug. "We've been good, we…we went back to New York, Lucy and I did." She commented.

"Well I'm glad you two are good, it has been strange without you two around but I understand why." She said before looking past Olivia to Lucy and the other four people staring at her and Olivia.

Olivia realized she hadn't introduced Mrs. Grey. "Everybody, this is Emma's mother, Mrs. Grey. She was our neighbor when she lived here." She said as everybody said hello. "And she makes the best milkshakes and fries that you have ever tasted." She added, causing everybody to order those plus burgers for lunch.

**Comment if you enjoyed please, I promise I read them all! :) **


	30. Chapter 30Epilogue

**Heyy everybody! Your comments were all SO nice, thank you so much for that. Well I finally finished this chapter and I really like it, and I think y'all will too. I am considering this the last chapter of the story. Thank you all so much for your kind words and messages, I really have appreciated them all. I'm probably going to write a one or two shot from later in the lives of the characters, so keep an eye out for that (I may even write a sequel to the story if a good idea strikes me :) ) Thank you all so much once again. And without anything further, here you go: **

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything pertaining to L&O:SVU :( **

CHAPTER THIRTY

It had been eight months since the custody case over Lucy happened, and everybody was happily back in Manhattan. Everything was back to normal and everybody was glad for that. There had been nothing from Brayden, and life was good.

Olivia climbed into the limo carefully, knowing that her life was about to change for the better today. As she got settled she looked around the small vehicle and saw them all looking back at her with big smiles on their faces.

As the car started to move she started to look back on what started it all today.

_Olivia walked into the apartment building all but exhausted from the day, but excited since Elliot had invited her over, she had decided to fight the exhaustion for a little longer. She waited for the elevator doors to open on Elliot's floor before making her way out and down the hall. _

_Before she could knock on the door, Elliot opened it and pulled her inside, claiming her lips quickly. When the two finally broke apart, Olivia looked around the apartment to see it decorated very romantically. _

"_Did you hire a maid Mr. Stabler?" She teased, noticing two fancy place settings on the dining room table along with a very neat and clean rest of the apartment, trying to see the extent of the cleanliness before being pulled back. _

"_Ah ah ah, you will just have to wait." He teased as they heard the doorbell ring. "Dinner's here." Olivia laughed at the fact that he had gone through all the trouble to make the apartment look nice and make it seem like he had done everything himself, but ordered takeout to go with it._

"_Thank you for not burning down your building with your cooking." Olivia teased as the two walked into the dining room and pulled out their Chinese food. _

_When they had finished their meals the two sat and talked for a few minutes. Elliot started to stare deeply into her eyes, causing her to know something was about to happen._

"_Olivia Benson," Elliot said as he knelt out of his chair and onto one knee. "I feel like we've known each other for ever, I love you, and you love me, so…will you do me the honor of marrying me?" Olivia looked at her partner with tears in her eyes as she nodded uncontrollably._

"_YES! Yes of course Elliot! I love you!" _

Olivia was pulled from her thoughts by the sound of Casey and Alex joined by Maureen, Kathleen, and Lizzie screaming in the limo. "Olivia and Elliot, sitting in a tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-g, first comes love, then comes, marriage, then comes Livvie with a baby carriage!" Olivia blushed at the last line.

She laughed at her two friends' song. "Would you two calm down? You're a bad influence on the girls." She said as she looked down at Lucy, who was sitting next to her. "They are all crazy aren't they baby?"

"They are mommy!" Lucy replied with a big smile.

As they all calmed themselves a bit, Olivia began staring out the window as she started to think about the secret she was currently hiding.

"_So he is the brother of the suspect," Olivia clarified what Melinda had just said, "Doesn't Haynes have an older brother?" She asked her partner who nodded. _

"_Let's go meet the other Mr. Haynes then, shall we?" Elliot said as the two began to leave. _

"_Oh, Olivia, can I talk to you for a second?" Melinda asked before the two detectives got out the door. _

"_Sure…?" She responded with a questioning look. "I'll meet you at the car El." Olivia said, knowing what Melinda was needed to talk to her about after thinking for a second. _

"_Okay." Elliot said, getting the hint and leaving. _

_The two women waited until they knew Elliot was gone before talking again. "So what's up Melinda?" Olivia asked. _

"_The test you asked me to run," She started. "was positive. Congratulations." Melinda shared the good news. _

"_You mean…I'm pregnant?" Olivia asked, making sure they were on the same page. _

"_Yep." She replied. "Lucy's going to have a brother or sister." She smiled. _

That was three weeks ago, and the secret had been burning a hole in her mind ever since. She and Elliot had decided to hid the news until they got back from their honey moon, and they had stuck to the decision well.

"Olivia," Alex said softly, holding her own tears back. "We're here."

Olivia looked around and noticed their limo had pulled up to the church. "Well, then let's get inside before it snows." She said, only partly laughing because it was supposed to snow later in the day.

The group of girls all climbed out of the limo with Olivia last, needing a little help with the dress. When she was out of the car she looked at everybody in their beautiful chocolate brown strapless dresses with the purple sashes, then Lucy in her short sleeved purple dress and brown sash dress.

The group made their way into the church, passing a mirror in the hallway causing Olivia to gasp for a second. Her hair was perfect, her makeup was flawless, and her long flowy white dress looked even more perfect now than it had when they left.

"Ready Olivia?" Cragen asked as he walked up to meet her.

"Yes, I am." She replied, taking one last look in the mirror before turning again.

Everybody lined up in front of Olivia and Cragen in front of the closed double doors. Everybody smiled as Lucy danced down the aisle first throwing the petals she had been given, followed by Lizzie, Kathleen, Maureen, Casey, and then Alex before it was Olivia and Cragen's turn.

As the two began to walk, Olivia's eyes focused in on Elliot's. The two were smiling as they stared into each other's eyes, waiting to meet. Finally Olivia and Cragen made it to the end of the aisle, where Cragen handed Olivia over to Elliot and took his seat.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered…" The priest began as Elliot and Olivia continued to stare into one another's eyes.

"I do." Olivia heard Elliot say confidently before her.

"I do." Olivia repeated, feeling Elliot squeeze her hands quickly.

"Then, I know pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride." The two heard before pulling each other into one of the best kisses they had ever shared. The applause surrounded them proudly as they pulled apart.

"I love you Mrs. Stabler." Elliot softly whispered before they turned to face their audience.

* * *

><p>"Elliot!" Olivia screamed from their bedroom. "Elliot! It's time!" She screamed again, hearing the footsteps quickly come down the hall.<p>

"Are you sure?" He asked as he ran into the closet for her bag.

"What do you think?" She yelled before freezing and holding in her scream for the sake of her daughter in the living room.

"Okay okay!" He surrendered as he rushed out of the closet and to her side. "Ready to go then?"

She nodded quickly as he helped her off the bed. "I hate you and your super sperm, by the way!" She said to him when she was standing.

"I love you too honey." He said as he kissed her quickly before leading her out of their bedroom and into the living area. "Lucy, baby, can you get your shoes on quickly please?"

"Yes I can." She said proudly. "Cause I'm four!" She added like she had been for the past few months, since her birthday.

"Okay, thank you." Elliot responded. "Liv, which shoes do you want?" He asked rushing back for some.

"Elliot! It's the middle of summer, and my feet are as swollen as my stomach!" She yelled back at him.

"Flip flops it is then!" He responded as he placed them on the floor before grabbing his shoes, slipping them on, grabbing the keys, and picking up Lucy.

"Let's go!" He said as he led them to the car.

* * *

><p>"Elliot! There you are! What's going on? How is she? What are they? How are they?" Elliot was bombarded with questions as he walked into the waiting room.<p>

He laughed at them all, "They are all doing fine. Olivia is tired, but she is fine." He answered.

"DAD! That doesn't answer the last two questions!" Maureen yelled, causing Elliot to laugh again.

"Well, you all have two new sisters." He replied, watching everybody's excitement at the new additions. "Codie and Amalee." He happily said their names.

"But Codie a boy's name…" Lucy said, causing everybody to laugh.

"It can be a girl's name Luce." Kathleen said as she picked up her step sister.

"Lucy," Elliot said as he walked up to his daughters. "Your mommy wants you to see the girls first, do you want to?"

"Yea!" She replied loudly.

"All right then, but you have to be quiet okay?" He told her as he took her from Kathleen's arms. She nodded at the request and zipped her lips. "We'll be back." He said to everybody else before returning to Olivia's room.

**And there it is...tell me what you think about anything and everything :) Until next time :)**


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